I'll Always Be There
by Sonomi-chan
Summary: Semma. Set during Season 3 after Pride Pt. 2. Emma and Sean's relationship hits a rough patch when it seems like all odds are against them. Will they let these circumstances break them, or trust in their love for each other? CURRENTLY BEING REVISED.
1. Default Chapter

**Title:** I'll Always Be There

**Rating:** T, for mild swearing and mentions of promiscuity.

**Couple:** Sean/Emma

**Summary:** Set during Season 3 after Pride Pt. 2. Emma and Sean's relationship hits a rough patch when it seems like all odds are against them. Will they let these circumstances break them, or trust in their love for each other? AU (No major spoilers, to my knowledge.)

**Author's Note**: I posted this story quite a few years ago, and it has now been revised. I have fixed any inconsistencies that I noticed, but otherwise the story and plot have not changed.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Degrassi: The Next Generation.

* * *

Emma almost tore the hinges off the basement door as she slammed it shut behind her, ignoring the muffled protests from her mother as she stormed down the stairs. Emma and Snake just had an argument- the second one that day- and her thoughts were reeling as she reached the bottom of the stairs. She kicked off her shoes angrily and collapsed on her bed, burying her face in her pillow as she fought the urge to scream.

As angry as she was, a large part of her felt guilty for behaving the way she had upstairs. A lot changed since Snake started chemotherapy; he was in the hospital often, and the consequential sickness and fatigue resulting from the chemo was difficult on him. Because of the changes, Spike was as busy as ever with work and taking care of Jack, and Emma found herself doing all she could to make things comfortable for her parents. She knew the less stress Snake was under, the better he would feel, and hopefully it would lead to a speedy recovery. Emma honestly wanted nothing more than for that to happen. However, there were days when the fatigue and the sickness took its toll, and he would be irritable over things that he usually wouldn't be upset about. It turns out that this was one of those days.

Emma raised her head from the pillow and turned around on the bed, shouldering off her backpack as she sat up. Moving a few strands of hair out of her face, she thought back to the argument she'd just had with Snake while she fished through her bag for her homework. Normally she would have shrugged off the argument by now, but this was one topic that she knew Snake's illness had nothing to do with.

Sean Cameron.

The entire argument started when Emma asked if Sean could come over for dinner. While her mother had no problem with it, Snake used every excuse he could think of to keep it from happening. Just thinking back on it brought a frown to her face.

...

_"Hey mom." Emma greeted as she walked through the front door. Moving through the living room into the kitchen, she saw Spike rummaging through a cabinet as Jack sat in his high chair, an assortment of toys in front of him. After kissing him on the cheek, she leaned against the fridge. _

_Spike eventually found what she was looking for and set it down on the counter before turning and giving her a smile. "Hey honey. How was school?"_

"_It was good." She replied as she opened the fridge and grabbed a soda. Fidgeting with the drink, she looked at her mother out of the corner of her eye. "Hey mom? Since it's Friday, is it alright if Sean comes over for dinner tonight?" _

_Spike looked at her and smiled before walking over to sit next to Jack. "Sure Em, that's fine with me. You can call him and tell him we're having pizza. I'm assuming he's okay with that?"_

_Emma nodded excitedly and moved to give her mom a quick hug. "Thank you! And yeah, pizza sounds great. Sean doesn't really like fancy much."_

_Smiling, Emma turned quickly, almost running into Snake in her haste to get to her room. Smiling sheepishly at him, she muttered a quick apology, which he brushed off with a laugh. _

"_Whoa there, where are you off to in such a hurry?" He asked, ruffling her hair playfully as he moved past her to greet Spike. _

"_She's just going downstairs to call Sean. He'll be joining us for dinner." Spike replied and stood to give him a kiss on the cheek. "I'll order the pizza once I know what time he'll be here."_

"_Wait a second, Spike." He brushed a hand over his head and looked between his wife and daughter. "How come no one told me about this? I expected that we would have a nice, quiet family dinner together."Hints of frustration laced his tone, and Emma and Spike turned to face him. _

_Spike, who had picked out dishes and was setting the table, looked up and gave him a reassuring smile. "It can still be a quiet family dinner, Snake. Sean typically keeps to himself anyway."_

"_And since I know you'll probably want to go to bed early, I was going to ask if I can go to Sean's to watch a movie tonight. I'd be back by my curfew." Emma offered as she moved back into the kitchen, looking from Snake to her mother for permission. She could hear the frustration in his voice and knew it was not a good sign._

_"You're not going over there. I also don't want him coming over tonight, so just tell him you will see him another time." Snake replied before turning away from the two and walking over to sit at the table._

_"What? Why not?" Emma's voice held some edge to it as she looked at her step-father, honestly curious as to what the problem was. It wasn't as if Sean was unbearable to be around. On the contrary, he was quite a gentleman when he graced the Nelson-Simpson household with his presence, and her parents knew that._

_Snake pinched the bridge of his nose as he replied. "Because I think he has a bad influence on you. His grades are dropping, he's been seen hanging around Jason Hoggart…" _

_"He does not hang out with Jay." She said with conviction. This wasn't the first time she'd heard Snake say that, and it was really grating on her nerves that he was constantly accusing him of that. "Jay came up to Sean once to ask him something and Sean said no. And as for his grades, there could be a lot of reasons for that. He's just been a little behind."_

_"It doesn't matter Emma. For the last time, no; he can't come over for dinner and you can't go over his house." He turned away again, this time focusing his attention on Jack, ignoring the looks Emma was giving him. Emma turned to Spike, silently pleading with her to intervene, but the older woman just shook her head and sighed, looking torn as she glanced between her daughter and husband._

_"Mom, please? This isn't fair. I do a lot around here for both of you. Don't you think that Sean staying for dinner isn't too much to ask?"_

_Spike gave her a sympathetic look and walked over to sit next to her husband. Snake looked as if he already had an answer to any retort she was about to come up with, and Emma crossed her arms at the look on his face._

_"Snake, he is her boyfriend. And she has been a great help around the house, especially with Jack. And she hasn't been able to see any of her friends outside of school this week—"_

_Snake interrupted her. "She's been a great help because she is supposed to help out. Those are her chores. And don't you have to do Caitlyn's hair tonight for the banquet she's attending? Who is going to take care of Jack if both of you are gone? I just got back from the hospital a little while ago. Someone else has to be here."_

_"But he's at the age that he doesn't even wake up in the middle of the night anymore." Emma said, glancing at her little brother as he happily knocked one of his toys against the table of his high-chair. She then looked at her watch, noting that it was about 5pm. "Besides, I'm going to be back by 8. That's the time that mom will be leaving, so I'll be here to help you out."_

_Snake looked at Emma for a few moments before letting out an exasperated sigh. "Emma, I'm just not in the mood for him coming. You'll see him some other time." He got up and walked out of the kitchen, effectively ending the discussion._

_Emma looked at her mother again, and the woman gave her a sympathetic look that she ignored. Turning on her heel, she made her way to the basement without another word._

_..._

Emma decided to try to calm down. There was nothing she could do about it. She would just have to call Sean and tell him she would see him another day. She wasn't sure how he would react, but if he felt anything like she did right now, he wouldn't be thrilled. They literally hadn't seen each other outside of school in a long while, and it was putting a strain on them, especially with Jay paying extra attention to Sean recently.

She grabbed the phone off her bedside table and dialed his number. He answered after a few rings, and just hearing his voice brought a smile to her face. He could always make her smile, and that was one of the things she really liked about him and their relationship.

"Hey Em. So, what time should I be over for dinner?"

When he asked, she paused for several seconds, not trusting her voice. She felt tears well in her eyes and took a deep breath. She didn't know why she was so emotional, but the last thing she wanted was for Sean to hear her cry. It would just make him worry about her, and he honestly had enough to worry about in his life.

Sean stayed silent as he listened to her shaky breathing. That was enough for him to know the answer. He gave a heavy sigh and nodded, forgetting that she couldn't see him. He had a pretty good idea why she was upset now, and what the cause of it had been. Mr. Simpson was cordial to him most of the time, but he could tell that the older man was not as giving as Emma when it came to second chances, or in his case, third or fourth chances.

He heard her sniff on the phone before whispering, "I'm sorry."

"No, don't be sorry, Em." He told her, maneuvering the phone in his hand so he could grab his keys. "Don't worry about it. I gotta go, though. I'll talk to you later, ok?"

"Sean—" He hung up, wincing when he heard her voice on the other end. He hadn't meant to cut her off, but what he was planning would well make up for it.

Putting his hoodie on, he jiggled the keys loudly for Tracker to hear before opening the front door and leaving the house.

* * *

Sean arrived at Emma's house in 20 minutes, making sure to make as little noise as possible as he made his way around the house to where the basement window was. The last thing he wanted was for her parents to see him. He had a feeling it would cause a lot more problems if he were caught.

He knelt in front of the window and gave it a gentle nudge, sighing in relief as he felt it open a few inches. He hadn't even thought about what he would do if the window had been locked, and he was just thankful that Emma always kept her window open in the spring.

Opening it all the way, he peaked inside and saw Emma lying on her bed, her back turned to him. Her radio was on low, and he heard her humming softly to the melody. She was so beautiful to him, and he took a few more moments to look at her before he swiftly climbed into the room.

When he turned around, he saw that she was still in the same position. Whether it was because of the music or she was lost in her own thoughts, she hadn't heard him come in. Using it to his advantage, he quietly walked over to her bed and lay down next to her.

Emma, thinking it was her mother, stayed still and kept humming. She really wasn't in the mood to talk about what happened earlier, and the sooner she told her mom that, the sooner she could be left alone again. Sean got closer and wrapped his arms around her waist, a wide grin on his face. Emma gasped in shock, but calmed down when she heard muffled laughter behind her. She turned around in his arms and smiled excitedly.

"Sean!" She whispered as she hugged him tightly. He kept his arms around her and kissed her cheek.

"What are you doing here? If Snake comes down here and sees you here, he'll flip."

"Then let him flip." He said with a scoff. The last thing he cared about was how Archie Simpson would feel. "As much as you try to hide things, I know when you're upset. I couldn't just sit home and not do anything, so I decided to come by and cheer you up."

Emma smiled at him. "Well, I'm definitely cheered up. Thanks Sean."

She leaned in and kissed him gently, enjoying the fact that she could finally kiss him without the prying eyes of Degrassi constantly watching them, not to mention Snake's constant presence.

When she pulled back, they sat up on the bed.

"Sean, I'm glad you came over, but what are we going to do? It's not like we can make any noise. My parents are right upstairs."

He shrugged, taking one of her text books off the bed and flipping through aimlessly. "I don't know what we can do, but whatever it ends up being is going to be good. We're finally alone together."

He lay the book on his lap and turned to her, a serious look on his face. He lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. "Honestly, I could just sit here and look at you for the rest of the night."

They both kept a straight face for a few more seconds until Emma could no longer hold it and burst out laughing.

"Oh Sean, you're such a flirt." She commented sarcastically in between giggles. Sean laughed harder and tried to dodge the pillow she had thrown at him. They didn't even notice how loud their laughter was until there was a knock on the basement door...


	2. Adventure in the park

**Title:** I'll Always Be There

**Rating:** T, for mild swearing and mentions of promiscuity.

**Couple:** Sean/Emma

**Summary:** Set during Season 3 after Pride Pt. 2. Emma and Sean's relationship hits a rough patch when it seems like all odds are against them. Will they let these circumstances break them, or trust in their love for each other? AU (No major spoilers, to my knowledge.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Degrassi: The Next Generation.

* * *

Sean and Emma started to panic as another knock was heard on the basement door. Jumping up from the bed, Emma paced around frantically, wildly looking in Sean's direction.

"Sean, get under the bed!" She said in the loudest whisper possible, her eyes darting from him to the basement door. Another round of knocks was heard a second later, causing Sean to jump up from the bed and scramble to the ground to hide underneath it. In his haste to get under, a few of her books fell to the floor, which just made more noise.

"Shhhhh! They'll hear you!" She hissed.

The knocking stopped, and she knew she only had a matter of seconds before whoever was up there decided to come down. She ran over to where Sean was hiding and moved her blanket messily over the side of the bed, making sure he was not visible. She had just enough time to jump back on the bed before the door opened.

"Emma, what is going on down here?" Snake asked as he closed the door softly. "I walk passed the basement door and I hear you making all kinds of noise. You are aware that your little brother is almost asleep in the living room, right?" He walked down the stairs and into her room.

"I'm sorry I made so much noise. I was just doing some cleaning and I guess I got carried away."

She fidgeted as she sat, glancing down to the floor every so often. She knew she had done a pretty good job of hiding Sean, but she couldn't help moving the blanket a little further to the ground while she spoke. She hated to lie, and she wasn't very good at it, but there was no other choice. If Snake found out Sean was there, he would lose it.

Snake glanced down at her blanket that was half pushed off the bed, then to her books that were scattered haphazardly on the floor before bringing his attention back to her. He wasn't sure what she was doing down here, but it definitely wasn't cleaning. With a skeptical look, he paced around the room before letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Whatever it is you're doing, would you please keep it down? I'm about to take a nap before dinner. Spike went to the store and won't be back for a while, so if Jack wakes up then you'll have to take care of him."

Emma nodded a little too quickly, which made Snake even more suspicious. Before he could comment, Emma stood from the bed and walked passed him to stand on the bottom stair, effectively averting his attention to the staircase.

"So…should I also listen out for the pizza?" She asked hastily, and Snake just ignored her abnormal behavior and shook his head.

"She's picking it up on the way home."

"Well great!" She replied, clapping her hands together. "So, you go rest and I'll make sure Jack is taken care of until mom comes home."

Snake stared at her for a few seconds before just shaking his head and walking up the stairs. Emma watched him go and waited until she heard his footsteps climbing to the second floor before moving to close the basement door.

As soon as the door was shut, she turned to see Sean crawling backwards from underneath the bed. When he stood, she walked back down stairs, stifling a laugh as he brushed aggressively at his clothes to get rid of the few dust bunnies that were stuck to him. She helped him out when she reached him, and afterward both of them collapsed on the bed.

"Well, that went well."

"No, that was a close call." She said seriously. "We can't make any more noise or he'll know something's going on."

He nodded and laid his head back against the pillow. They spent a few minutes just laying there, somehow exhausted from the last few minutes. As Sean lay, he thought about Emma's family situation. And the more he thought of it, the angrier he became. He didn't understand the nerve of Mr. Simpson practically barging in just because of a few laughs. In fact, every time he'd seen Mr. Simpson lately, the man was in a foul mood, and he knew it was because of him. But why? He knew he'd made mistakes in the past, but he was making up for them slowly but surely.

He glanced at Emma and couldn't help the peaceful feeling that came over him. She was sprawled out next to him, her eyes half-lidded as she traced the patterns on her comforter with her fingers. She looked relaxed, something he hadn't seen in a long while, and he knew that part of the reason she was so tense recently was because of what was going on at home.

He understood that things were hard right now with the news of Mr. Simpson's illness, but he also knew what Emma was like and how hard she worked herself. She would do anything to help those around her, and she willingly sacrificed her own happiness if it meant taking any type of burden off of someone else. Sean knew too well how generous and caring she was, and that was one of the main reasons why he tried his best every day to be better for her. She never admitted it, but she needed support too, and as long as he was in her life, he was going to be the one supporting her.

With that last thought in mind, he sat up. He knew just what he wanted to do for her.

"I want to take you out." He told her abruptly and stood.

She snapped her head up, staring at him like he'd hit his head.

"Sean, did you hear anything that Snake said?"

"I heard every word."

"Then you know that I can't leave the house. Besides," She gestured upstairs. "I have to listen out for Jack. There's no way I'd be able to leave him here."

"Emma, you do everything around here. Why is it your job to take on all of the responsibility even when someone else is around?" He walked over to kneel beside her and place his hands on her shoulders. "The baby's asleep. I feel like if Mr. Simpson could walk into the basement and yell at you for laughing in your own bedroom then he can easily take Jack upstairs with him."

Emma sighed. "I know how you feel, Sean, but I can't just leave." She replied, and he felt the tension in her muscles as she spoke. "I'm Jack's sister and he needs me if mom and dad aren't around."

"It doesn't make sense, Em. He's been different towards us ever since Jay decided to start talking to me. Look, I know he just got sick, but I feel like a lot of the energy he uses goes to giving you orders and talking bad about me. I get that he doesn't like me, and that's cool. But it's like every time I see him in school his focus is constantly on what the two of us are doing."

'He's just been under a lot of stress." She said quietly, not really wanting to accept the truth in Sean's words. Recently she had seen a change in Snake's personality too, especially when it came to Sean. Just like the argument over dinner, it seemed that any time she mentioned his name, Snake would become irrationally angry. He wasn't aggressive, but it was enough to see a pattern. Because of the cancer, she decided not to confront him about it, but it was becoming harder and harder the more the arguments occurred. Emma really didn't understand it.

Sean decided not to bring up Mr. Simpson any further, and instead focused on his mission.

"Well, we can always take Jack with us. We'll just go for a walk. Five minutes, I swear. Jack will get some fresh air, and we'll get a chance to just talk and have fun. What do you say?" He rubbed her shoulders as he used the most convincing smile he could muster.

She looked at him, her expression very clearly stating that his persuasion tactics were not working. After a few more seconds of silent pleading from him, she cracked a smile and heaved an exaggerated sigh.

"Alright, I'll go. But only five minutes, okay? If they find out we did this, I'll be grounded for weeks."

Sean stood quickly and gave a silent cheer before grabbing her hands and pulling her up with him. The surprised squeak she let out fell on deaf ears as he wasted no time walking up the basement stairs.

"Um…Sean?" She paused, effectively stopping him as well. "How about I go upstairs and you wait for us outside?"

Sean was confused for all of a few seconds before realization hit him and he grinned sheepishly.

"Oh, yeah. I guess it would probably help if we didn't get caught before even leaving the house, huh?"

"Exactly." She lightly pushed him toward the window. "Jack and I will be out in a few minutes."

...

...

...

About ten minutes passed before Sean saw Emma walk out of the house. She had Jack in one arm and his stroller in the other, and was managing them both without much of a problem, which surprised Sean. Once she reached the bottom of the stoop, she set the stroller down and strapped Jack inside of it. After making sure Jack was situated, she looked around until she saw Sean. He was standing under a tree at the end of the street, and she waved at him as she strolled Jack and walked over to him.

Despite the fact that the street was empty, she couldn't help guiltily looking over her shoulder every couple of steps, keeping her eyes open for any sign of anyone seeing her. She was being overly paranoid, and she shook her head and took a deep breath. Taking a walk with her little brother was nothing suspicious, and as long as she kept that thought in her mind, she knew she could relax a little.

She reached Sean after a few more seconds and they kept walking down the street. They were silent as they walked, enjoying the cool spring breeze, and for the first time in a while, Emma felt content.

This wasn't something she got to do often, and she almost couldn't wrap her brain around it. She was taking a walk, with Sean and Jack, after school. Something this small shouldn't have been this big of a deal, but it was, and she was enjoying every second of it. Every so often she would think about what would happen if her mother came home and saw them gone, or if Snake woke up and saw the house empty, and an anxious feeling would well inside of her. But anytime she felt it coming, Sean would look at her, or she would hear Jack laugh, and it helped keep her at ease.

They walked for a few more minutes until they reached the park, and decided to sit for a while before heading back. They found a spot under one of the large trees in the area, and she unhooked Jack from his stroller and sat him down before she sat down beside Sean.

"This is really peaceful. I think Jack is enjoying it, too." Emma said as she leaned into Sean, and they both looked down at Jack, whose attention was fixated on a caterpillar that was inching its way along the grass in front of them.

"See, Em. I told you this was a good idea. You really needed to get out of the house." He said as he put his arm around her and gave her a small kiss on the cheek

She smiled and looked around the rest of the park. It was filled with parents and their children. They were flying kites, playing games, talking, or just sitting on a bench enjoying the afternoon sun. A feeling of sadness came over her, then; she couldn't remember the last time she and her family did anything fun like that. Maybe she could convince her mom and Snake to bring them here over the weekend or something. She just knew it would help everyone be more at ease.

She glanced at her watch, noticing that the five minutes Sean had talked her into had turned into twenty, and that paranoia she felt when she'd left the house was kicking in again. She sat up a little straighter, jostling Sean out of his thoughts. She felt him pull her closer.

"Aren't you glad you came?" Sean whispered in her ear, and the initial panic she felt lessened as she leaned into him. Sean was right; she needed to learn to relax.

"Yeah, I'm really glad you talked me into this. I almost don't want to leave. Jack seems like he is having a fun time too."

Jack had abandoned the caterpillar and was making his way quickly back to them. When he made it within arm's reach, Sean moved his arm from around Emma and reached out and held him high, laughing as Jack squealed in delight. Emma laughed too as she watched them, and began tickling Jack when Sean passed him over to her.

When Jack eventually calmed down, Sean looked down at his watch and groaned.

"It's been way past five minutes, Em. We should probably head back now."

"Yeah, you're right." She replied. "Just let me get Jack back in his stroller and we can go." She stood and bent down to pick Jack up, but Sean reached him first, hoisting him up on his shoulder.

"Let me do it." He volunteered, and Emma couldn't mask the surprised look on her face. Sean was never one to volunteer for anything, let alone something that had to do with a baby. However, he seemed like he really wanted to, so she stepped aside and watched as he took him over to the stroller and strapped him in with very little difficulty.

When he was finished, he ruffled Jack's hair and strolled him over to Emma. He gave her thumbs up, and she smiled at him before they made their way out of the park.

The walk back to the house was peaceful, and aside from the occasional noises Jack would make, it was pretty silent. As they walked, Emma noticed how Sean took great care when it came to her brother's general safety and well-being, and she couldn't help the thoughts that crossed her mind as she observed them.

"You know what, Sean?" She asked while looping her arm through his.

"No, what?" He said as they stopped walking. They'd just reached the end of her street.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's nothing. I just think you'd make a really great father some day."

Not having expected her to say that, he blushed and looked down. When he felt his face return to normal, he looked back up at her. He saw the teasing look she was giving him, and knew he wasn't going to be able to live that blush down for a while. Nevertheless, he wrapped his arm around her waist, being sure to keep his other hand on the stroller handle.

"Well, if I'll make a great father, then there's no doubt that you'd make a great mother. And, who knows?" He felt the blush come back. "Maybe, if it's in the cards for us, we'll be great parents…together."

"Sean…" She whispered, surprised that he voiced those thoughts to her at all. He was never one to talk about his family or his thoughts on the future, so she never questioned him on it, assuming that his family life made him avoid thinking about that all together. To hear him say that meant that he was opening up, and it let her know that he was growing up.

Sean broke her out of her thoughts when his lips met hers for a kiss. When he pulled back, she still had the same dazed look in her eyes, and Sean stifled a laugh.

"Come on, Em. Don't look so surprised! I know we're still young and everything, but I've been through enough with my parents and my brother to know what kind of man I want to grow up to be. And you're the only girl I could ever see having a future with. You know I love you, right?"

She nodded her head, happy that she knew him well enough to read him correctly, and also happy that he felt the same way about her that she felt about him.

"Yeah. I love you too."

"Good." He replied softly, and pulled her into a hug. They pulled apart quickly when Emma heard a front door close, and even Sean felt a little anxious. They were way past time.

"We need to get back now."

"Ok." He strolled Jack in front of her. "Call me later, if you can."

Emma waved before hastily running up the street back to her house. She could only hope that no one noticed they were gone.


	3. Aftermath

**Title:** I'll Always Be There

**Rating:** T, for mild swearing and mentions of promiscuity.

**Couple:** Sean/Emma

**Summary:** Set during Season 3 after Pride Pt. 2. Emma and Sean's relationship hits a rough patch when it seems like all odds are against them. Will they let these circumstances break them, or trust in their love for each other? AU (No major spoilers, to my knowledge.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Degrassi: The Next Generation.

* * *

As soon as Emma reached the front door, she unstrapped Jack from his stroller and folded it up before leaning it against the side of the house near the bushes. It would be a lot quieter when she walked in without the additional hassle of having to put away the stroller. Once she got Jack back into his chair in the living room, she would come back for it, hopefully before her mother came home to notice it was missing.

However, as Emma pushed her key into the already unlocked door, she realized that she was too late. Stuffing her keys back into her pocket, she hoisted Jack up a little higher in her arms before taking a deep breath and opening the door. As expected, the reaction that met her was not pleasant. Her parents were standing in the middle of the living room, her mother with the cordless phone in her hand and Snake with his arms crossed. Their heads snapped in her direction when they heard the door open, and Spike exhaled in relief.

"Never mind, sir. She just walked in. Thank you for your help." She told the person on the other line before hanging up. She was still relieved, but her expression was far from happy.

"Emma, where have you been?" She yelled as she walked over to her children. Emma held Jack out to Spike, who took him and placed him in his play area.

"Emma, this is unacceptable!" Snake started, and Spike turned around and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Archie." She started, trying to calm him down. She couldn't blame him for his reaction; he was frantic when she got home from the store and he told her that Emma and Jack were not only not home, but also that Emma hadn't left a note or any indication of where they were. However, the last thing she wanted was for him to be stressed.

"No, Spike. We have every right to be angry at her. What she did was completely irresponsible."

"I know that." Emma interjected, not wanting to start an argument between her parents. "I'm sorry. I hadn't meant to stay out as long as I had. I don't know what I was thinking." She said honestly. She really had every intention of only being out for a few minutes.

"Staying out as long as you had? I didn't even know you would be 'out' at all. Where have you been?" He questioned, and Spike nodded and looked at her as well.

"Do you have any idea how worried we've been? And to not even call or take your phone with you, Emma?"  
"I didn't mean to worry you. Sean and I just took Jack to the park. That's all." She replied, but regretted it immediately when she saw Snake's face.

"Sean?" He asked with a cynical laugh. He should have known Sean was involved. "I thought I asked you not to go anywhere tonight!"

"Snake! Calm down." Spike said, her tone commanding as she looked between him and Emma. She could already tell that one of their arguments was about to start, and she wanted to stop it before it escalated any further.

Emma could feel herself getting angry at Snake. Once again, he was going to blame Sean for anything wrong that happened, regardless of whether or not it was her decision.

"It wasn't Sean's fault, Snake. We both agreed that I needed to get out of the house for a little while. We brought Jack because it was my responsibility to watch him and we thought it would be nice for him as well. I am so sorry for worrying you guys, but don't bring Sean into this. It was my decision."

"I don't care whose decision it was. Emma, you are grounded. End of discussion." He told her as he turned his back to her and walked into the kitchen.

Emma figured that she would be grounded, so the punishment did not come as a shock. Part of her thought she deserved it anyway. She had broken their trust, after all.

She mutter a small, "Okay." And began walking toward the basement. She wanted to call Sean and tell him about everything. Before she could reach the stairs, her mother's voice stopped her.

"This is getting too complicated." She said under her breath as she ran a hand through her hair. She took a look at Jack and then at Emma. "Em, you shouldn't have left the house, especially with Jack, without telling Snake. I don't mind if you want to take him anywhere, but you have to tell one of us next time, do you understand?"

"I know, mom. I'm sorry. I probably would have said something, but with the way Snake reacted when I wanted Sean to come over for dinner, he wouldn't have let me go anyway." She commented, walking closer to her mother. She was hoping that the conversation would stay between them, but Snake overheard what she said.

"Who says I wouldn't have let you go?" He asked from his place at the table, his voice irritable at the implication.

Emma shook her head at him. "You were asleep. If I'd woken you up, I would have been in trouble for that anyway. You had already been mad at me for laughing downstairs. I just thought it was better not to bother you, especially since I really did plan on being out for only a few minutes."

"I wasn't angry at you, Emma. The way I spoke to you then was the exact same way I'm speaking to you now."

"No, it's not. Any time I say Sean's name, you get angry, just like you are now."

"No, _this_ is me angry, Emma! And maybe I wouldn't be angry if you were responsible and made the right decisions instead of just following whatever Sean Cameron says."

"Alright, I've had enough of this!" Spike yelled as she stepped in the middle of the room, blocking their view of one another. "Emma, please go to your room."

Emma opened the basement door and left without another word. Once she was out of sight, Spike turned to look at Snake. She walked into the kitchen and opened the pizza box, putting a few slices on a plate for him before sitting next to him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and looked up at her.

"We shouldn't let her see him anymore." He sounded exhausted, and Spike pushed the plate closer to him in a silent urge to eat.

"This wasn't his fault, Snake." She told him, but he was hearing none of it.

"How can you say that? She never would have done something like this if they weren't together."

"Snake, I really don't think this is you talking. You've been stressed lately and-"

"What are you trying to say? That I'm not in my right mind because I'm sick?"

"—_and _I think you may be overdoing it." She continued, ignoring his accusations. She tapped her finger against his plate, and he picked up a slice of pizza and bit into it. "Emma has a point; recently, it has seemed like you have been only seeing the worst in Sean. Whether it's because you're sick or not, the last thing I want is for you to stress yourself out over every little thing going on between the two of them."

"Maybe it's just because you don't see what I see. I see them together every day, and I see them separately. I am just not convinced that the good qualities that you and Emma see outweigh the bad. And I don't want him bringing her down to his level."

"Well, unfortunately, it's not our decision." She stood in order to make herself a plate of food as well. "I trust in Emma's judgment, and I know you do, too. She obviously sees more in him than we do, and I believe he sees things in her that even we don't. We have to just see what happens."

...

...

...

Once Emma walked into her room, she immediately picked up the phone and dialed Sean's number. She only hoped he was home. She really wanted to talk to him about what happened upstairs.

After a few rings, she heard a woman's voice answer, and she was slightly taken aback. The woman's voice was sultry, and judging by the slurring, Emma figured that she was also slightly intoxicated. It took Emma a few seconds to get her bearings.

"Um, hi. Is Sean home?" She asked, and the woman let out a few hums before another voice replaced hers on the other end.

"Hey, this is Tracker. Who's this?" Tracker answered, and Emma knew from experience that he was completely sober. She heard the woman giggle in the background.

"Hey Tracker, it's Emma. Can I speak to Sean?" Her voice was a little nervous now, because she wasn't sure if Sean would be there. He tried to make himself scarce when Tracker had female company over. He didn't like how his brother was when he had girls around, because he tended to neglect his younger brother, instead turning all of his attention to the fling of the evening.

"I think he's in the yard. Hold on a sec and I'll check." She heard him put the receiver down and call Sean's name. After a little while, she heard a click and silence before someone picked up the phone again. The background was now a lot less noisy.

"Emma?" Sean asked, adjusting the phone on his shoulder.

"Yeah, it's me." She replied, not knowing what else to say. She was just happy that he was there. Talking to him just made her feel better.

"What's wrong?" He asked immediately. "Did your mom get home earlier than you?"

"Yeah, and Snake was up, too." She sighed. She wanted to tell him about the argument, but she really didn't want to even think about it anymore. That, and he didn't need to hear what he already knew Snake thought about him.

He cursed under his breath. "I'm sorry, Em. That was all my fault. Did you tell them that?"

Emma could feel herself getting irritated. "No, I didn't, because it _wasn't_ your fault."

He could feel her mood changing, and decided to drop it. There was clearly more to the conversation than she was telling him. He would ask her about it when they got back to school. He already knew that he probably wasn't going to see much of her over the weekend after this.

"But are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

"I'm fine now that I'm back outside." He answered, already knowing what she was referring to. "As long as I stay away for the most part, I'm alright. She'll be gone by midnight, anyway."

"Okay." Was all she said. His answer was short, and she knew he was more bothered by it than he was letting on, but just didn't want to talk about it.

She was startled when the basement door opened, and she muttered a quick, "Hold on." before putting the receiver against her chest and looking up at her mother.

"I just wanted to let you know that Snake and I just had a talk, and we've decided that you aren't grounded. We'll talk about it more a little later." She said, glancing from her daughter to the phone clutched to her chest.

"Thanks, mom." She smiled up at her.

Spike closed the door and went back upstairs, and Emma put the phone back to her ear.

"Sorry about that."

"It's no problem. I'm glad you aren't in trouble. But hey, I've got to go. Call me if you need anything. I'll be up late tonight."

"Alright." She was disappointed, but made sure he didn't hear it in her voice. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye Em." He hesitated afterward, almost like he wanted to say more. However, nothing else came out, and Emma repeated the sentiment before they both hung up.

That was the last time they would talk that weekend, she was almost positive. She decided to get to school early on Monday to spend at least a few extra minutes with him before they went through yet another week of limited contact.


	4. Jay's new target

**Title:** I'll Always Be There

**Rating:** T, for mild swearing and mentions of promiscuity.

**Couple:** Sean/Emma

**Summary:** Set during Season 3 after Pride Pt. 2. Emma and Sean's relationship hits a rough patch when it seems like all odds are against them. Will they let these circumstances break them, or trust in their love for each other? AU (No major spoilers, to my knowledge.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Degrassi: The Next Generation.

**Author's Note: **Even though I'm revising, there are some things I'm still going to retain. I've been deleting all of my previous Author's Notes because they weren't really saying much. But, if I happen to mention/thank someone for something, it's staying here. So, once again, thank you _cherrylilwolf_ for your info on the last names. I figured it was something like that, but I wasn't exactly sure.

* * *

As was expected, Sean and Emma did not see one another for the rest of the weekend, which just made the two days go by extremely slow for them. Not wanting to get into any more trouble, Emma layed low and stayed home for the majority of the time, only really venturing out to run errands if her mother needed her to. Sean spent most of his time home as well, though most of it was spent in the front yard working on a car or something of that nature. Anything was better than sitting in the house listening to his brother complain about work. That kind of talk always stressed him out.

When Monday finally came, both of them were relieved to be back in school. As Emma entered Degrassi, she spotted Sean sitting in front of her locker, his tell-tale headphones in both ears. He was wearing his usual trademark jeans and black t-shirt, sans his grey hoodie, which surprised her, considering she never really saw him without it during school. When she reached her locker, she sat on the floor next to him and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. He turned to face her and smiled.

"Hey there, gorgeous. How long have you been here?" He asked, and she could only guess that he had been so engrossed in the music that he'd lost track of time.

"I just got here a second ago." She leaned forward in order to take her backpack off and placed it beside her, not having the energy to put everything in her locker just yet.

She made sure to get to school a little earlier than usual in order to be able to talk to Sean without interruption. After everything that had been going on lately, they needed it. Sean, who had taken his headphones off when she arrived, put them on the floor next to him and turned more toward her.

"How was your weekend? Sorry I never called again. I didn't want to risk Mr. Simpson picking up the phone." He apologized, but she shook her head.

"I understand. My weekend was alright, I guess. I got all my work done, did some research on a few biodegradable materials that I may be able to petition to be used in school, and some other stuff…" She trailed off and lazily rose to her feet, the conversation giving her the motivation she needed to get herself organized for the day.

Sean made a noise of acknowledgment, which was his way of listening even when he knew nothing about what she was saying. She just rolled her eyes playfully and reached back down for another book to put in her locker. Just as she moved to put it away, someone slammed it out of her hand. Startled, Emma quickly turned to see Jay and his friends standing there. Upon seeing them as well, Sean stood abruptly.

Refusing to play into their game, she bent over to pick the book up and put it in her locker before doing the same to the remaining books in her bag. She saw Jay frown out of the corner of her eye. Not liking being ignored, Jay took a step closer, only to move back when Sean got between the two of them. He looked at Jay, almost daring him to try something else. Though Jay stepped back, he looked at Sean just as fiercely, and the two others that were with him flanked his sides. The standoff continued a little longer until Jay eventually backed away, muttering for his friends to follow him.

Sean watched them leave until they were completely out of sight. He turned back to Emma, and she shrugged as she closed her locker.

"What was that about? They hardly even know who I am." She told him and glanced down the hall they had just exited from.

Sean tried to calm himself and leaned against the lockers heavily. "I don't know, but he's not the kind of guy you want to be around. You should stay away from them."

It wasn't a request, and Emma could see that there was more to it than he was letting on. She wanted to ask him about it, but more and more students were filing into the building, and the last thing she wanted was for Snake to overhear any part of their conversation.

She nodded at him, and then looped her arm around his. She would talk to him about it later. It would just continue to bother her if she didn't.

"Come on." She began walking, coaxing him to follow her. "The bell is about to ring soon. We should get to homeroom."

He nodded, the same frown still on his face and followed her toward Armstrong's classroom.

...

Emma and Sean entered the room just as the bell rang and grabbed the first seats they saw. Sean chose to sit near the back, while Emma took the seat that had previously held Manny's backpack.

"Thanks for saving me a seat." She said as she sat down and rummaged through her bag in order to organize it for class.

"Don't mention it." She replied and turned around in her seat to face her. "You are going to come to watch me practice today, right? I get a solo."

Emma looked up and noticed that Manny was in full spirit squad uniform. The squad would be competing in a tournament later in the week, and Manny was going to have a special part all to herself, courtesy of Paige. The spirit squad would be practicing in the cafeteria during lunch as an impromptu pep-rally, and Manny was beaming from excitement.

Emma smiled at her friend. "I'll be there, Manny."

Manny let out a small squeal. "Thanks, Em. I just can't believe I'm going to have my own solo part! I wonder if Craig will be there. I'll have to ask him. I'm going to go tell everyone else. I'll see you in class."

Emma waved at her and watched as she spoke briefly to Mr. Armstrong and all but skipped out of the room. Once she was out of sight, Emma continued organizing her things until the bell rang again.

Once homeroom was over, everyone piled out of the classrooms to go to their lockers and socialize until they had to be in their first class. As Emma walked through the hall, she heard her name being called, and turned to see Paige and Spinner walking toward her. Like Manny, Paige was also in full spirit squad gear. Even though Paige and Emma rarely spoke, Emma had heard about her rape the year before. And even if the two of them barely interacted, the news still affected Emma as well. Seeing Paige now, and how close she and Spinner seemed to be since then, she couldn't help but be happy for the two of them.

As soon as they reached her, Paige held out a flier for her to take.

"Emma, are you coming to practice to see Manny perform her solo? It should be a great routine. I mean, I did start this squad and I do know talent when I see it. With Manny on the team, we are definitely going to make it to the championships. Don't you agree, hun?" She asked, as she looked from Emma to Spinner.

Spinner, who had zoned out for most of Paige's speech, snapped his head in her direction.

"Oh..uh, of course, honey-bee." He replied, and Paige smiled and pinched his cheek.

Emma cleared her throat loudly, effectively breaking up their playful banter, and folded up the flier.

"Yeah, I'm going to the pep-rally." Her reply was short, but that was good enough for Paige. The older blond smiled at her and clapped her hands together.

"Fabulous. Oh, and bring Sean, too. I want everyone to be there. The more, the merrier."

"Yeah, I'll ask Sean."

"Ask me what?" Emma turned to see Sean walking up behind her.

"We'll just leave you two to talk. We can't wait to see you there." Paige turned and gave them a small wave over her shoulder as she and Spinner walked away.

Emma shrugged and turned to face Sean.

"Manny is doing a solo for the spirit squad during lunch and she wants us to see it. Do you want to?"

Sean snorted back a laugh, not even believing that he was actually considering watching a cheerleading performance. However, Manny was a good friend to him, and if she wanted him to watch her do a solo, it was the least he could do.

"Sure, why not?" He finally said. He then lowered his voice, his tone serious. "Have you seen Jay again?"

Emma shook her head. "Not since earlier. Don't worry; all he did was knock some books out of my hand."

Sean looked around at the semi-crowded hallway before leading her to stand against the wall.

"I'm serious, Emma. He isn't a guy you want to take lightly." He sighed, and that same look he had on his face earlier was back again. "I know some things about him and that's why I want you to be careful."

Emma leaned closer to him. "Does this have anything to do with him wanting to talk to you a couple of weeks ago?"

He didn't answer for a while, but when he did, his answer was just as evasive as his others.

"Maybe. Just don't trust him, don't talk to him, don't…don't do anything with him. Please."

The hallway was becoming less and less crowded, and Emma glanced at her watch. They only had a little over a minute before they had to be in class.

"Okay, I'll stay away from him. But we have to talk about this sooner or later, Sean. You said you never wanted us to have secrets."

"I know, and I will. I promise." He replied before kissing her quickly. She shouted a quick "bye!" to him as they both ran to their respective classes.


	5. The encounter aka Sean's anger

**Title:** I'll Always Be There

**Rating:** T, for mild swearing and mentions of promiscuity.

**Couple:** Sean/Emma

**Summary:** Set during Season 3 after Pride Pt. 2. Emma and Sean's relationship hits a rough patch when it seems like all odds are against them. Will they let these circumstances break them, or trust in their love for each other? AU (No major spoilers, to my knowledge.)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Author's Note: As I said last chapter, my AN's will be reserved for thanking/mentioning anyone I mentioned in the previous version of this chapter. So, I would like to still thank _Molly_ for her idea for the story. Oh yeah, and I mentioned that my cousin was graduating when I wrote this chapter. He was going off to college. Wow, it's been a long time since then.

* * *

It was Emma's second to last period before lunch, and time seemed to creep along as she struggled to pay attention. Her mind was still occupied with Sean and whatever problem he and Jay had with one another. She had so many questions, most of them having to do with how she was involved in all of this, and why Sean was acting the way he was.

Jay pushing her books out of her hands was nothing uncommon, at least not for the rest of the student body. He was just a jerk who never seemed to feel accomplished unless he was tormenting someone. This time felt different, though. She never showed up on his radar before, but what happened this morning seemed to be something deliberate. It was almost like a warning, and that warning was clearly meant for Sean.

A noise startled Emma out of her thoughts, and she frantically muted her computer as the sound of a new email came blaring through the speakers. Her face grew hot as a few chuckles were heard throughout the class, and she shot the teacher an apologetic look before requesting a pass for the restroom.

With permission granted, she rose from her seat and exited the room, breathing in deeply to try to control her embarrassment. She walked the halls slowly, going in the direction of the restrooms so it didn't seem as if she were loitering the halls. Her thoughts ended up drifting back to that morning, and she was so lost in concentration that she'd ended up bumping into someone. The force caused her to stumble backward, and she positioned the palms of her hands toward the ground to break her fall.

"Oh look, it's environment chick."

She didn't even have to look up to identify whose voice that belonged to. Jay was staring her down, two other boys at his sides, just as they had been earlier. Getting over the initial shock, she scowled and moved to stand up. She was halfway up when Jay leaned over and shoved her, grinning in satisfaction as she once again collided with the ground.

"What was that for, you jerk?" She yelled while rubbing her wrist.

"Oh, she just called me a name. That's cute." He grinned, nudging the boy to his left. His smirk was purely mocking, and Emma's scowl only deepened.

No matter how angry she was, she refused to play into his games. Without a word, she stood, remembering to pick up her hall pass before turning and walking back in the direction of her class.

The hall became silent as Jay's laughter ceased, and a second later she felt him grab her arm and yank her around to face him.

"Let me go!" She yelled, biting her lip when she felt his nails digging into her skin.

"And what's gonna happen if I don't? I don't see Cameron running to your rescue. As if that punk could do anything to me anyway."

"Leave Sean out of this." She demanded, attempting to release his grip from her arm. She could already feel a bruise forming.

"Did you hear that, Towerz?" Jay asked his friend who had just come out of a classroom further down the hall. He stopped when he heard his name, but then a smirk crept to his face and he walked toward them.

"Yeah." He answered as he got closer. "She's sticking up for her little boyfriend." He stopped right in front of her, and she grimaced as he leaned in close and imitated kissing noises in her ear.

She jerked her head back quickly and tugged at her arm again. "Will you please let me go? I have a class to go to."

"Aw guys, did you hear that? She's begging now." He looked over to his boys with a pout, and the mocking laughter that followed only made Emma wish even more that she was away from them.

"Well, since you begged like a good little girl, I might just let you go."

"Yeah, wouldn't want Ms. Straight A's over here to miss out on the rest of her lessons." Towerz commented behind Jay before patting him on the back and leaving the group.

Jay acknowledged him with a flick of his hand before focusing on Emma again.

"This has been fun, but I'm getting bored." He released her arm without warning, and she stumbled back slightly from the force of it. "Just remember to keep this little meeting between us. Wouldn't want Cameron getting upset too soon. If you want to do me a favor, tell him to reconsider my offer. If you don't, then the next time I won't be so nice."

He whispered the last sentence in her ear before he and his friends walked off, leaving her alone in the hall.

...

...

...

It was finally noon, and the halls were full of people quickly gathering notebooks and lunches before making their way to the auditorium for the spirit squad pep rally. Manny had covered a lot of ground during homeroom, as well as the other members of the squad, so the turnout was expected to be pretty big.

Emma was one of the first to arrive and sat in the farthest corner of the bleachers. She hadn't spoken much since running into Jay, not wanting to attract any unnecessary attention to herself or her bruised wrist. After returning to class after the incident with Jay, she made sure to pull her sleeve all the way to the tips of her fingers to hide the ugly bruise and kept to herself the remainder of the time.

Her cover was almost blown when Sean called out to her in the hall between classes, but she just walked into the next room and pretended not to notice him. What else could she have done? If he'd found out about what happened, she knew there would be nothing she could do to stop him from going after Jay. She didn't want him to find out at all, but she knew she had to tell him. They'd made a promise; no secrets. She would tell him when she calmed down enough. She was still a little shaken.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she saw Sean enter the auditorium. He stopped a few feet in and looked around until he saw her before making his way up the bleachers.

"Hey, why are you so far away from everyone else?" He asked when he was close enough for her to hear.

She just shrugged and moved her backpack so he could sit closer to her.

"This seems like a place I would want to sit. Does Manny know you're here?" He put his arm around her and leaned against the back bleachers.

"I talked to her before I sat down." She told him, the words coming out faster than she intended.

The nervous undertone was subtle, but Sean noticed it immediately. Leaning forward, he moved his arm so he could turn to face her properly.

"Em, what's wrong? I thought you would be a little happier for Manny. You're not acting like yourself."

"I am happy to see her perform. I'm happy, okay? Can you just drop it, please?"

She winced at the word "please", remembering Jay's mocking tone when she'd used it earlier. Everything about that conversation didn't sit right with her, and she began questioning once again what Jay wanted in the first place.

"Emma, what happened to your arm?"

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt Sean lift her arm, his fingers gentle around her swollen wrist. Her eyes went wide and she focused on her arm before glancing up to his face.

"Um…" She murmured, but then immediately bit her lip. She watched as he broke eye contact to look at her wrist again, turning it over in his hand to inspect it more thoroughly.

"Emma, these are finger marks. Who did this to you? And don't lie to me." His gaze pierced into hers, and she knew she couldn't keep it a secret any longer. She had no choice but to tell him, but there was no way she could do it here. Not where anyone could overhear her.

"Follow me." She told him before standing and making her way down the bleachers toward the entrance. By now, most everyone was in their seats and the spirit squad was just about to begin. She felt a twinge of guilt as she and Sean walked by Manny, who was standing near the door with her palms at her sides and a nervous smile on her face. She waved to the brunette, and mouthed to her that she would be back soon. When Manny smiled in response, Emma let out a long breath and exited the doors.

Once she and Sean were in the hall, she grabbed his arm and led him into the nearest room- an empty janitor's closet- before closing the door behind them.

"Okay Em, what's going on?"

Emma told him everything, from Jay pushing her down to his final words before finally letting her go. After she finished, she sat down on an upturned bucket in the corner of the closet. She brought her head down and rested them in her hands.

Sean didn't move. He stood in the exact same spot, trying to make sense out of what she'd told him. Jay had attacked her. Not only that, but he'd brought her into something that she had absolutely nothing to do with.

He was so furious that he was almost shaking, and it was only a couple of seconds before he balled his hand into a fist and punched the wall next to him with a growl.

He kept his fist against the wall, breathing hard and concentrating on the pain in his hand in an attempt to control his anger. If it were up to him, he would leave right now and risk expulsion just for the chance to make Jay pay for what he did.

He moved his hand from the wall and shook it before looking over to Emma, who was now watching him. One look in her eyes, and he knew he couldn't lose his temper. The last time he had, during his fight with Jimmy, she'd broken up with him. He'd almost lost her, and he didn't want that to happen again. Even though this was clearly different, he had to keep his cool.

He eventually calmed down and walked toward her. She lifted her head up and he took her hands and pulled her to stand. He looked her up and down, searching for any other sign of physical injury that Jay might have inflicted. He trusted Emma's word, but he just had to see for himself. Not finding anything, he moved a strand of hair out of her face. She looked exhausted, and seeing her like that brought some of the anger back. The anger he felt now was directed at himself. He should have known something was wrong. He should have been there.

Leaning forward, he pressed his lips gently against hers, and a feeling of relief washed over him when she responded to the kiss. Being with her this way, holding her close…calmed him in ways nothing else did. When they pulled apart, he could think a little clearer.

"I'm not going to let this go, Emma." He told her in a firm, yet gentle voice, letting his words sink in as he continued holding her.

"I know."

"I can't just sit by and do nothing." He pulled away enough to look at her. "Did he say anything else?"

Heaving a sigh, she replied, "He said you had better reconsider the offer he gave you."

"Did he threaten you?"

She was quiet, but her silence was answer enough. Jay had threatened her, and that fact seemed to intensify the situation for him. He didn't know what Jay's angle was, but he was going to find out and deal with it.

Emma rested her head on his shoulder, too emotionally drained to do much else. Sean started at the movement, but relaxed and held her close again.

A noise outside startled them, and they had just enough time to pull apart before the door opened. On the other side was Mr. Simpson, looking frazzled and glancing down at the floor in search of a mop. There was an "accidental" spill in the cafeteria, courtesy of JT and a soda bottle, and he'd had the responsibility of finding something to clean it with. It took him a second to look up, but when he did, his eyes went wide and his expression steeled.

"What is going on here?" His tone was hard as he stood to his full height and looked at them.

Sean moved his hands away from Emma's waist, and she took another step back before turning to her stepfather.

"Nothing, Snake. We were just talking."

"In the janitor's closet? I'm not buying that excuse, Emma." He crossed his arms across his chest and looked sternly between the two. "If you don't tell me what you were really doing in here, then I'll have no choice but to give you both detention."

"Mr. Simpson," Sean stepped up, but the look Snake directed at him caused his to step back. Still, his voice was strong when he told him, "We weren't doing anything. Emma had something she wanted to tell me, and so we went here. I swear that's all that happened."

"Yeah, well the position I found you two in did not suggest talking." He replied in a disgusted tone, referring to the embrace he'd gotten a glimpse of before they'd moved away.

Sean heaved a frustrated sigh at the look he was giving them. The sigh didn't go unnoticed, and Snake turned his attention back to him.

"Anything to add, Mr. Cameron?"

"Yeah, actually." He began, and continued even after the warning look Emma was giving him. "She needed a hug and I gave her one. That's it. No need to make a big deal out of it."

Snake was quiet, and after a moment of standing there, he reached to the side and grabbed the originally sought-after mop before turning his back.

"I'll see you both after school, in my classroom."

After he'd left, Emma and Sean looked at each other before leaving the closet as well and heading back to the auditorium.


	6. The Fight

Hey Everyone!!! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I didn't get home until really late and I was sleepy. Well, this chapter should be about as long as the last chapter now that I have some free time.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own degrassi  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(  
  
As Emma and Sean entered the auditorium they saw that the place was packed full of people. The Spirit Squad had just started performing. Emma and Sean saw that the corner that they were sitting in before they left was still free so they grabbed the place before anyone else could. Jay, who was sitting about 2 seats behind Emma, smirked. He figured that this was his perfect chance to make "environment chick" remember their discussion.  
  
Emma laid her head on Sean's chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Emma was extremely tired after the events that happened today. It wasn't really physical but more of mentally tired. Sean was still thinking about how he would handle Jay. He didn't want his temper to get the best of him and hurt Emma like he did when he fought Jimmy, ( AN: you guys remember that episode, right?), but he also didn't want to sit around and seem weak.  
  
Emma was almost asleep, he noticed, so he brought her even closer to him to make her more comfortable. Jay saw this as the perfect opportunity to make a move.  
  
Jay took an empty chip bag that was in front of him and he threw it at Emma's leg. Emma didn't really respond to that and Sean hadn't even noticed. Jay was disappointed at first, but then he got another idea.  
  
He found another empty bag and put his cd player inside of it and threw it right where Emma's bruise was.  
  
Emma shouted as the bag collided with her skin. She looked up and saw Jay smiling at her. Sean looked up at the same time Emma did and when he saw Jay, something in him just snapped.  
  
As all of this was occurring, the spirit squad announced Manny's solo was about to begin.  
  
Sean got up from his seat and approached Jay too quickly, before he could try and run away. All of a sudden, before Jay could even blink, Sean's fist collided with Jay's nose... then to his jaw, and then everywhere across his face. Sean was out of control; he wouldn't stop punching him until Jay kicked him off and started hitting back.  
  
The entire auditorium watched as the two tumbled down the bleachers and landed in the middle of the floor. Sean seemed to have the upper hand but Jay wasn't backing down either. After another 5 minutes of useless fighting they both stood, staring each other down. Jay was the first one to speak.  
  
"So, I see your little girlfriend told you everything. Pity, I thought she could keep her mouth shut with a secret. Oh, but then again, seeing you two in the hallways, I guess you both can't keep your mouths shut." Jay made kissy sounds for effect.  
  
Sean was seething now. He wanted to pound Jay's head into a concrete wall. Jay spoke again.  
  
"Anyway, have you considered my offer? All you have to do is say yes. Then you could really be happy instead of living in a Barbie world with environment chick over there." He pointed to Emma as emphasis.  
  
"Why don't you get this through your thick, empty head. I am not going to help you do anything. I couldn't give less than a shit on stealing for you and helping you break into places. If I wanna screw up, I can find better, more clean ways to do it."  
  
"You call this clean?" Jay asked, while wiping some of the blood from his lip. "One call to Radditch and you will be kicked out so fast your head will spin. And I wonder what will happen next...oh yeah, you'll be sent back to your drunken parents..."  
  
Jay couldn't even get the rest of the sentence out of his mouth as Sean came at him again, this time, not holding back. Emma was screaming for Sean to stop, but apart of her wished that he would keep beating him until he had absolutely no brain cells left in his head.  
  
Sean was still going at it, punching and kicking him anywhere he thought it would hurt. Jay couldn't even fight back anymore, he was so screwed. While fighting, Sean's mind was completely focused on Emma. He was doing this for her. He didn't want her to be hurt by him anymore and he swore he would always protect her. 'But how am going to protect her if I get convicted of manslaughter?' With that thought in mind, he stopped.  
  
The whole auditorium looked in confusion as Sean just stopped and got off of Jay. Jay stood up too, his face looking slightly swollen, but everything else on him looked fine. Liberty, being the goody goody, went to get Mr. Radditch. After Sean stopped, Emma moved from her place on the bleachers. Just as she was about to approach Sean, Manny grabbed her arm and brought her over to where she was standing.  
  
"What's going on here, Em? Why did they just start fighting all of a sudden?" She asked.  
  
"Yeah, their fight just totally interrupted our cheer." Paige said.  
  
"Manny, Jay has been harassing me and Sean just found out like 15 minutes ago and something else happened while you were cheering and then they just...started fighting."  
  
"Are you okay, Em? I was wondering what that bruise on your arm was from, but you were avoiding everyone so I figured you did it yourself or you just didn't notice it yet."  
  
Sean came up next to Emma as Manny was talking. Jay, after Sean, went over to his friends and girlfriend.  
  
While everyone was talking and gossiping, Radditch entered with Liberty behind him.  
  
"I want everyone out of this auditorium and to their homerooms immediately. Everyone except for Jay, Miss. Nelson, and Mr. Cameron. Go now!!"  
  
Everyone started mumbling and groaning as they left. They wanted to see what was going to happen with Jay and Sean. After everyone else left, Mr. Simpson entered the auditorium. His gaze was fixed on Emma...and then Sean.  
  
"Now, what happened here?" Radditch asked, mainly speaking to Jay.  
  
"Well, sir. I was sitting on the bleachers watching the squad perform, minding my own business when Cameron and his little girlfriend came up to me and broke my cd player." He said with a smirk.  
  
"You Are lieing. We never touched your cd player. You threw it at us for no reason." Sean cut in.  
  
"Excuse me, but I believe I was telling the story. Anyway sir, afterwards, I asked them kindly to leave me alone. I didn't even ask them to repair the cd player. They wouldn't back down and then Cameron started punching me in the face. It was appalling. This fight was not my fault." Jay said, finishing up.  
  
"He's lieing, Mr. Radditch. Why would we come and bother him if he didn't start it?" Sean asked.  
  
"Well, I see the only reliable person to ask here is Emma. She tells the truth. Emma, I want you to tell me exactly what happened."  
  
"Alright, Sean and I were sitting watching the spirit squad perform when all of a sudden this heavy bag was thrown and it hit my arm where I have a bruise. I screamed and looked up to see Jay smirking at me. I looked down again and I saw his cd player in the bag. Sean was already angry with Jay because he has been bothering me, so he went and punched Jay in the face."  
  
"How many times did he punch him?" Mr. Simpson asked.  
  
"A few times. I wasn't counting."  
  
"I was." Jay said  
  
"I wasn't asking you Jay." Mr. Radditch commented. "Now, go on Emma."  
  
"Well, Jay started fighting back and soon they tumbled down the bleachers and were in the middle of the floor fighting. After a few more minutes of fighting, they stood and started throwing insults at each other...well, it was more of Jay insulting us. Sean only said that he wouldn't do something for him. Jay then said something about going to you and then Sean would be sent back to his parents, those weren't his exact words but I don't care to repeat them. So Sean got really angry and advanced to him again and then Jay stopped fighting back and Sean just stopped and got up."  
  
"Is that all that happened Emma?" Radditch asked.  
  
"Yes. That's all." She said with a sigh. She knew her telling the whole story would get Sean in more trouble then he was in before.  
  
"So, let me get this straight," Simpson started, "Jay threw a cd player at Emma and smiled about it, Sean came and started punching him, then Jay insulted Emma and Sean, then Sean came to Jay again, Jay stopped fighting back, and then Sean just...stopped."  
  
They all nodded. Snake was extremely pissed off at this. He was teaching a class and then he hears all this noise outside about a fight between Jay and Sean and he heard Emma's name come up in it too.  
  
"Just one question, Mr. Cameron. Why did you just suddenly stop?" Radditch asked.  
  
"Because I realized that I am no use to anyone if I go to jail and that Jay wasn't worth my energy to begin with."  
  
"I want both of you in my office now so I can assign your punishments."  
  
"Yes, sir." They said in unison as they followed Radditch into the hall.  
  
Emma was about to go to homeroom when Snake stood in front of her and began to speak.  
  
"I have had it, Emma. This is all I hear about every other day. Sean did this, Sean did that. I heard Sean stole this, etc. I am tired of it Emma. Now he has gotten himself into another fight and you were hurt in the process." He said, referring to her bruise. "I believe that you two shouldn't be together anymore. He is going to get himself in a bad position one day and you are going to be caught in the crossfire. When Sean gets back, I suggest you tell him that you two can't see each other anymore."  
  
"Snake, this isn't fair. I love him. Why are you making me do this? It should be my decision to break up with him. Mom says that when it comes to relationships and love, you should make your own choices and mistakes. I don't think Sean is a mistake. He fought Jay because he was standing up for me, trying to protect me. Yes, he went a little far, but if you heard all the things that Jay said to him, you would realize why he fought him like he did."  
  
"I am going to discuss this with your mother tonight. I believe she will agree with me and you will break up with him the next time you see him, do you understand?"  
  
"No! I am not going to break up with him just because you want me to. I love him and I know he loves me and nothing you, or mom, or anyone does can change what we feel for each other. We will still see each other in school and, sense we live close to each other, we will see each other in the park, or in a store, or walking down the street. No matter how hard you try, you won't stop us from seeing each other."  
  
"You will do as I say, Emma. I am your guardian and you have to listen to me. Besides, Sean might not be in this school very long if Radditch finds that the fight was all his fault."  
  
With that said, Mr. Simpson walked out of the door and to his classroom. Emma waited until she couldn't here his footsteps anymore and then left the auditorium. She couldn't believe all that happened today. She was so drained of energy. But no matter what she was feeling, it couldn't compare to what Sean was going through in Radditch's office. She wanted to know what was going on so she decided to listen at the door. She couldn't hear very well, but she heard most of what they were saying.  
  
"Jay, you and Mr. Cameron have created quit a scene here today and it will not go unpunished, do you understand?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Now, your punishments will be...."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()(

Well, that is the end of this chapter. I left an evil cliffy but I could have left a more evil cliffy if I stuck with my first idea. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Read and Review. 


	7. Detention drama

Hey everyone. Sorry its been a few days since I've updated. I have been so busy going out to places and these summer projects are gonna creep up on me so, but that doesn't mean I won't have time to write. Here's the next chapter!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own degrassi  
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxx  
  
"Your punishments will be a month of detention plus trash duty. You will also have to apologize to Manny and the entire spirit squad for your interruption of their performance. Do I make myself clear?"  
  
"Crystal, Mr. Radditch. May I leave now? I don't want to miss the rest of my last class of the day." Jay said in a semi- sarcastic tone of voice.  
  
"Go, Jay." Jay got up from his seat, not forgetting to bump into Sean's shoulder, and walked out. Sean was about to leave also, but Radditch stopped him before he could.  
  
"Sean, whatever is going on between you and Jay needs to be settled peacefully. I don't want anymore innocent people getting hurt. Mr. Simpson is furious about Emma's arm. It is going to be even worse by tomorrow."  
  
"Mr. Radditch, that's exactly why I fought Jay. He hurt Emma before. She told me that he threatened her and HE gave her that bruise. I would never intentionally hurt my own girlfriend. I was just so angry and I didn't know any other way to handle the situation than to fight him and get my anger and frustration out."  
  
"I know that you and Emma care for each other but you need to learn to control your anger and leave affairs that don't concern her away. She is a bright girl and can take care of herself, but Jay can be very ruthless and I don't want her to be hurt by him anymore. I can't punish him anymore now because you got involved. Had you come to me, he would have been suspended. Just come to me next time he tries anything."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
"Now, I hear from Mr. Simpson that you and Emma have a detention with him today after school because you were in a broom closet together?"  
  
"Yes, but, like I tried to explain to him, we weren't doing anything. She needed to tell me something and when she finished, she was upset about it and I was giving her a hug when he walked in, that's all that happened."  
  
"I believe you. But you still have to serve the detention. I can't change the teacher's process. I am not in charge of that. You may leave now and go to your last class."  
  
"Thank you, sir."  
  
Sean walked out of the office to see Emma sitting on the floor, her back to the wall, waiting for him. Once Emma saw he was out she stood and went towards him.  
  
"Are you in big trouble?" She asked him, her head down.  
  
"Not really. Only an apology, a month's detention, and trash duty. No big, right. You like saving the trees and stuff. Maybe I could ask Radditch to clean whatever you thought needed to be clean." He said with a laugh, but Emma wasn't laughing with him. She was on the brink of tears.  
  
"Em?" She didn't look up, but he could see the tears streaming down her face. He thought it was best for both of them to go someplace quiet...definitely NOT the janitor's closet.  
  
Sean and Emma entered the auditorium to see students rehearsing for school plays, hanging out with friends, and setting up props. Sean didn't think it was the best place to be alone with her, but it would do. They decided to go on the opposite side of the auditorium and sit where it was quiet. Emma was still crying silently as they sat down.  
  
"Em, come on honey. Talk to me. What's the matter?" He asked, still trying to get her to face him.  
  
She didn't, but she started talking to him anyway.  
  
"Is Tracker going to ground you badly for this? I mean, is he going to send you away like her always threatens every time you get into trouble? This is all my fault. You're in trouble with Snake and Radditch because of me. You got into a fight with Jay because of me, an now Snake wants me to break up with you because of the fight which was because of me." After Emma said this, she let out a sob and turned away from him, her head still down. Sean was trying hard to let everything she said sink in. After it processed, he scooted towards her and hugged her, the hug positioning her to be in his lap.  
  
"No no no, Emma. Don't you dare even think this was your fault. If anything, it was mine. I didn't have to go fight him, I didn't have to not tell you about what Jay said, hell, I didn't even have to let him talk to me in the first place. This is not your fault. It never is your fault. It is Jay's fault. He is making us go through all of this pain. And the whole Snake thing, well, he never liked me anyway. I can honestly say that that decision was my fault entirely. And you know Tracker. He isn't going to do anything too bad to me. He might just say that I can't watch TV for the rest of the night or something. Then after I tell him the whole story, he'll congratulate me for my awesome fighting skills. You don't need to worry. I never want you to worry. Just let me do it all. And in return, I just want to see you smile. Can you do that for me?"  
  
"But-"  
  
"No 'buts'. I want to take care of you. I know you can take care of yourself, but I want you to need me just like I need you."  
  
"I'll always need you, Sean." She said with a small smile on her face.  
  
"That's my girl. Now, we only have about a good 10 minutes left class. Do you want to go?"  
  
Emma thought about it for a minute before saying something Sean would have never thought she would say.  
  
"I see no point. I mean, we already have a detention, and its only 10 minutes and I really doubt we are doing any work. Let's just stay in here and help with the decorations. At least when we're asked, we can say we were doing something."  
  
"I think I am starting to rub off on you. My gosh, what have I done to my innocent little Emmy?" Sean said, laughing. Emma was laughing too, partly because of the sarcasm he used, and partly because of his little nickname for her.  
  
For the last 10 minutes, they were talking to Toby and Kendra about the play and what they needed help with. Sean and Emma were having so much fun. Throwing paper at one another, tumbling around, painting on the other's face and acting like it was an accident. They were having the time of their lives. They didn't want it to end, but they knew it was going to because the bell rang seconds later. Kendra and Toby said their goodbyes and Sean and Emma went towards Simpson's classroom.  
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxx  
  
The classroom was empty, save for Mr. Simpson and his laptop. Emma and Sean sat on opposite ends of the room and just stared at one another until Snake decided to speak.  
  
"This detention lasts for one hour. No talking, no playing on the computer, no type of communication what so ever and that includes cellphones! Now, before I start, is there anything that you would like to say?"  
  
Both raised their hands.  
  
"Emma?"  
  
"An hour!?!? This isn't fair Snake. We were only talking in the closet. It's not like we were making out or anything. Usually most teachers would only give us 15-30 minutes. Why are you keeping us here so long?"  
  
"I am because you too obviously need to learn a lesson and maybe sitting here staring at each other will make you think about what's more important in life, being successful and respecting your parents and teachers or some dumb little puppy love that isn't going to last passed the 12th grade."( AN: I put Emma and Sean in the 11th grade. I thought it would be better that they are older. I kept Jack to be about 1 ½ .)  
  
"Dumb puppy love doesn't last for two years, Mr. Simpson."  
  
"Yeah, why can't you see that we love each other, Snake? Why is it that mom can see it and you can't?"  
  
"Don't bring your mother into this, Emma! I am not your mother, I am your step-father and you shall treat me as such."  
  
"Do you even care that I am trying to explain my feelings for Sean to you? I don't think what we have is puppy love. In fact, I know it isn't. I love him so much, probably just as much as you love my mother."  
  
"What part of 'don't bring your mother into this' don't you understand?"  
  
"I am not bringing her into this. I am using her as an example. At least she tries to understand my feelings instead of trying to control what I do."  
  
"I am not going to discuss this with you here, Emma. We will talk about this when we get home."  
  
He turned around to go back to his desk but stopped abruptly when he heard Emma speak again.  
  
"No, we will talk about this now! You keep avoiding the subject."  
  
Sean was just sitting in a chair watching the both of them argue. He couldn't help but feel guilty about them fighting, especially over their relationship. The room was becoming smaller and smaller to Sean every minute and he felt like he couldn't breath. He couldn't sit and listen to them any longer.  
  
Emma and Snake stopped arguing as Sean walked out of the room.  
  
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxx  
  
OKAY!!!that was the 7th chapter. I know, it doesn't have much action, but I was in the mood for a little drama today. Well, review and tell me what you think. 


	8. Dressed in black

Hey guys. Chapter 8 is now up! (everyone cheers ) Thank you, thank you. Okay, now this chapter came to me in a dream. It is gonna have action and total Sean and Emma fluff. I can't wait for you guys to read it. You're the most awesome reviewers ever. Oh, and sorry for the grammar mistakes in chapter 7. I noticed like 3 of them, but whatever. I'll revise it if needed.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own degrassi  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
The car ride home was painfully silent as Emma sat in the front seat looking out of the window. After Sean left, another argument erupted, making them both very angry. Once they got in the house, Spike had baby Jack in her arms burping him. She then sat him down on his blanket and started to speak.  
  
"Hey Em, Snake, how was your day?  
  
"It was fine, mom."  
  
"Don't lie to her Emma. The day wasn't fine, it was exhausting. I am teaching my class and I get a call from Radditch saying that Sean and Jay are fighting in the auditorium and that Emma is there trying to break it up. When I get there, Emma has this gigantic bruise on her arm. Oh, and before that, I find Emma and Sean in a broom closet together. And when I gave them detention for it, Emma becomes totally out of line and argues with me over it while Sean just sits and watches." Snake exclaimed while sitting down.  
  
"Emma!" Spike said in an unbelieving tone of voice.  
  
"Mom, he didn't even explain why all of those things happened. Sean and I were in the closet because that was the only place where we could talk with out being heard by other people. And this bruise on my arm was from when Jay threw his cd player at me. And the fight wasn't even Sean's fault."  
  
"Stop lieing Emma, he started it. The whole auditorium saw." Snake said.  
  
"But he was only fighting Jay to protect me from him. Mom, Snake gave us a detention because Sean was hugging me in the closet. We hug each other all around school and no teacher stops us or punishes us for it. What Snake did was totally unfair. None of this was Sean's fault."  
  
"Alright." Spike said with a sigh. "I don't want to hear anymore about it."  
  
"But mom, He is making Sean and I feel really badly about just being together. He told me that if I didn't break up with Sean then he would make sure we didn't see each other again."  
  
"You said what?" She said while turning to Snake.  
  
"Yes, I told her that. Have you even seen the bruise on her arm yet? It looks terrible. Sean is a menace to the school and to other people. He is starting to put Emma in danger as well. I don't want her going in a downward spiral because of her so-called 'love' for him."  
  
"He has a point, Emma. Sean isn't the most respectful person and he does get in trouble a lot. Maybe Snake is right about you two keeping your distance."  
  
"But mom, you always told me that I have to make my own decisions and learn from my own mistakes in relationships. I love Sean and he loves me just as much. I don't think I need to break up with him just because of a little fight. He has gotten into fights before, it's nothing new. Can't you just trust me?"  
  
"Yes, Emma. I stand by what I said about you doing things yourself. But if Sean does something extremely wrong then, as your parents, we need to help you both. Now, Emma, you need to help Sean with his anger problems because I have heard enough about them. Now go downstairs, I need to speak with Snake."  
  
"Alright. I'm going to call Sean. He seemed pretty upset when he left..."  
  
Emma went downstairs and picked up her metallic pink phone and dialed Sean's number. After a few rings, the voice that lit up Emma's world answered with a tired "hello".  
  
"Hey Sean. How are you doing?"  
  
"Hey Em. I'm doing fine. Are you?"  
  
"Not really. I just finished talking to my mom and now she's talking to Snake."  
  
"Oh. Look, Emma. I'm sorry I left so suddenly. I kinda felt guilty that you and your step-father were arguing over something like this."  
  
"This is our relationship Sean and I will fight for it. Snake is trying to break us up and I'm really upset about that. As if enough drama didn't happen today."  
  
"I want to fight for us too, Em. But it seemed like I started the whole thing and I'm sorry for it."  
  
"Don't be sorry, Sean. I don't blame you for this. My mom will work this out. Now, I have to go. I'll talk to you tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah, okay. I love you."  
  
Emma smiled as she hung up the phone. After putting it back on the charger, she walked upstairs to see what she was called for. (AN: I'm not going to put Snake and Spike's conversation in this. Spike was basically scolding Snake for giving Emma the detention and he was telling her why.)  
  
"Emma, we have talked and Snake has promised not to get involved with you and Sean's relationship unless he really needs to. But you do need to tell us if he has done anything bad, understand?"  
  
"Yes, mom! Thank you!" She said while hugging her mom and then hugging Snake.  
  
"Now Emma, it's about 5. Snake has a doctor's appointment to go to by 6 and it's an hour away. I need to drive him and I am bringing Jack with me, so you will be here alone. All of the emergency numbers are on the table. You know the rules. We should be back around 8 or 9, okay?"  
  
"Okay. Hope the appointment goes well." Emma said while watching them get in the car.  
  
"I'll call you when we get there, Em. Bye." Spike waved as she drove off. Emma sighed and then closed the door. She decided to get her homework done now and then take a nice shower and then watch some tv.  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
Jay and his friends watched Spike, Snake and Jack leave the house and started laughing. They had the perfect game plan set up. Jay figured that after he did this, Sean would definitely change his mind about his offer to help them.  
  
"Okay boys. Let's get everyone set up. Z, you will be positioned at the back door. And you Mike, you will be at any window that is open or unlocked. And I will be at the front door. We need to make this clean so be quiet, no shattered glass, no breaking anything, no stealing anything. Just follow the plan exactly like I told you to."  
  
"Got it!" Mike and Z said in whispered tones.  
  
"Now that we have the plan, let's get everything set up."  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
Emma sighed happily as she snuggled deeper into the couch. It was now 7: 30 and she had just finished her homework. After sitting for a few more seconds she got up and headed to the bathroom for a shower.  
  
While she was doing that, Jay was almost ready to start his plan up.  
  
After about 30 minutes, Emma stepped out of the bathroom with a pink fluffy robe around herself. As she walked down stairs and began changing into her pajama's, she had a weird feeling that she was being watched. After looking around her room and finding nothing, she finished changing and went upstairs to eat some grapes. She then sat down in her light yellow pj's and started watching tv. She was having fun and was very content until the power went out. Emma was startled at first, but then figured it must have been because Snake was tampering with it before.  
  
Emma went upstairs to find a flashlight and then came back down. Emma was startled again when she heard the phone ring. She answered it hesitantly.  
  
"Hello."  
  
"Hey, Em. Look, we need to stay at the hospital a little longer. I want to let the doctor give Jack a mini check up to make sure he is okay. He is way over due. Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, the power just went out. Other than that, I'm fine."  
  
"The power's out? Oh, I'll call the power company and tell them about it. Maybe they are conducting a test or something. Call me when it comes back on, okay?"  
  
"Okay mom. Bye." Then she hung up and went back to the couch, grabbing a book as she sat down. As she was reading she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She stood and was approaching the kitchen when she heard a noise coming from the basement. Emma was trying to calm herself down and trying to convince herself that the noises could be from the power being out or trying to start back up, but she wasn't fooling anyone. When she heard a noise coming from the living room she started to get very frightened.  
  
Emma decided not to investigate. After seeing all of those horror movies where the girl investigates and gets her head chopped off, Emma was okay with not going to take a look. She was afraid and didn't know what to do. If she called the police, they wouldn't believe her. They wouldn't go to the house just because she was hearing something go "bump" in the night. And Spike and Snake wouldn't come home just because of this.  
  
Emma was about to go back to reading again when she heard a shriek come from upstairs ( AN: She is in the living room now so the upstairs she is talking about is Jack's room. Oh, and Emma is reading with the flashlight in her hands. No one can read in pitch-black darkness.)  
  
Emma screamed when she heard it and she determined that it wasn't just some noises from the pipes, but that someone was in the house. Emma tried not to whimper but she couldn't help it. The shrieking sound was loud enough for her to hear it and low enough for the neighbors not to. Emma was trying to think about what she could do to get out of the house when she heard the bathroom window open and then close and lock. Emma was absolutely terrified now. When she didn't hear any sound, Emma got up slowly and snatched the phone off of the charger and dialed someone's number blindly.  
  
Sean was sitting on his bed doing his homework when he heard the phone ring. Figuring that it was for Tracker, he ignored it and continued doing his math. When no one answered the phone he realized that Tracker wasn't home. Sean sighed and answered it. The first thing he heard on the other line was Emma screaming his name in a low, whimpering tone. Sean didn't need to hear anymore as he grabbed his black coat and ran over to Emma's house.  
  
Emma sank deeper into the couch as she heard footsteps in the living room with her. She was smart enough to put pillows over herself to hide. The shrieking was still going on and then noises that sounded like drills were noticeable. Emma had never been more afraid in her life. She was home alone, an intruder in the same room as she was, and she didn't have any help or weapon what so ever.  
  
Sean got to Emma's house and tried the front door to find out that it was locked. He cursed to himself silently and decided to go through Emma's basement window, since it was always open. He slipped through and slowly walked up the stairs, inspecting the room as he walked. Once he got to the door that led into the living room he paused. He opened the door slowly to see someone walking around the room in circles. He was startled when he heard someone trying to open the front door. The figure in black stopped going in circles and opened the front door. Two other figures in black walked in. Behind the three, Sean could make out Emma's huddled form on the couch behind pillows. Sean didn't know what to do. They could be dangerous but he had to help Emma. Sean looked at the black jacket in his hands and smirked, putting it on in a way that covered his face and walked through the door.  
  
Emma was in shock. There were 4 people in black just walking in circles in her living room.  
  
Sean walked up to the Jay and his friends and in a disguised voice said, " She called the cops, man. We are so busted." Sean had no idea who he was talking to, but he was making up words as he spoke.  
  
Jay and Z started freaking out. Mike, after seeing another person in black, ran out the open front door like a coward, cd player that was making the shrieking sound in his hand. Jay, believing Mike was talking, said, "Damn, alright, let's go before they get here. Turn the power back on on the way out, Z."  
  
"Got it. Let's hurry up." Z said.  
  
Jay and Z quickly went out the door, thinking that "Mike" was right behind them. As soon as they were out the door, Sean closed it and locked it. The power came back on about 2 seconds after Sean closed the door. When the lights turned back on, Sean took the black jacket off of his head. Emma screamed. She had a huge smile on her face as Sean walked towards her. She had never been happier to see him in all of her years of knowing him. Emma jumped up from the couch and put her arms around Sean's neck, holding him as tightly as possible.  
  
"Hey. Are you okay? They didn't hurt you, did they?" He asked while making sure she didn't have any cuts or bruises on her.  
  
"No, I'm fine. They didn't hurt me. They didn't even touch me. Oh, Sean! When did you get here? When I called you I was so scared. Mom and Snake had to go to a doctor's appointment and they took Jack with them and then the power went out and then I heard noises and then..." Sean stopped her from talking by kissing her lightly on the lips.  
  
Emma hugged him again as Sean whispered how worried he was and how he was going to protect her over and over again until she felt reassured.  
  
"Are you okay now?" He asked her as the both sat down on the couch.  
  
"I guess so."  
  
"When will your mom and Mr. Simpson be back?"  
  
"I don't know. Maybe and hour or two. Sean, will you stay with me? I know I shouldn't ask, but-"  
  
"It's okay Emma. Of course I will stay with you. I was actually planning to. Do you really think I would leave you after this?"  
  
Emma smiled at him and he smiled back and kissed her once again. Emma then snuggled up to him and fell asleep.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
Okay! That was the longest chapter since I started this. I was really excited about writing this chapter. I was in the mood for it, I guess. Well, read and review so you can tell me what you think. 


	9. Jay's new plan

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been a while since I've updated but I had a lot of work to do and I didn't have time. This chapter most likely won't be that long, but I'll try to make up for that tomorrow. I'm going to add another plot to the story that you all might like. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own degrassi  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
It had been three days since the blackout at Emma's. When Spike, Snake, and Jack got back that night they saw Emma and Sean asleep on the couch. Snake wasn't thrilled about it at all and he went off. Emma and Sean lied and said that they had a project to work on together and that Sean needed to bring over the supplies. Spike and Snake didn't really buy it at first, but decided that it was too late at night to argue about it and so Spike drove Sean back home.  
  
After that, Sean and Emma have had a very peaceful three days of fun. Jay hadn't said or done anything to neither of them since Monday, but that was because he was setting his second plan into motion. And this one was going to be BIG!  
  
He figured out, because of Monday night, that they were weaker and vulnerable when they weren't together. He decided to use that to his advantage. And by that, he would need help from an equally vulnerable, lonely person.  
  
Jay walked up to Ellie's locker after school was over and just stood there, watching her. She glared at him, as if telling him to back off or he would regret it. At that look he just smiled. ' Yes. She will be the perfect person to help me get what I want. Who knows, maybe this will work out in both our favors.' Jay thought, a sadistic smile forming on his face. Ellie watched his face change from passive to grinch type happy. She was a bit afraid now, but she spoke to him anyway.  
  
"Can I help you with something or are you just going to stand there and watch my locker all night?"  
  
"Ohh, sassy. No need to be so defensive, little kitten. But, to answer your question, yes, you can help me with something."  
  
"Don't ever call me that again!"  
  
"Only if you help me out."  
  
Once he saw the look on her face was telling him to continue, he did.  
  
"Well, you see, I need something from someone. But that someone won't help me because what I need help with might be a bit...illegal. But, I know he would do it if his girlfriend wasn't watching what he did 24/7."  
  
"Exactly where do I come in in this plan of yours?"  
  
"Well, they don't seem like they are in a happy relationship. I've seen what happens when the masks come off and they truly aren't happy. I believe his current girlfriend is seeing someone behind his back. And, as I've seen, you are interested in this guy."  
  
"Look, if you want me to break them up then count me out. If she is cheating on him then he will find out on his own."  
  
"Well, you see, I don't want you to break them up. That would be heartless. But, since this is Sean Cameron we are talking about, I think you wouldn't mind a little flirting here or there. Who knows, maybe he'll see his girlfriend for the cheating witch she is and become interested in you. And then he would help me out and everyone would be happy."  
  
"I really don't believe that Emma Nelson is cheating on Sean. I've never seen her with any other guy. Only the other ones in her grade, but even then, Sean is with her."  
  
"Well, maybe you will see the truth sooner than you think." He paused for a minute before continuing once more. "Just think about it. You like Sean. This would be the perfect opportunity to drop him a few hints. I mean, if he is as in love with her as he says he is, then he would just 'hang out' with you as a friend and Emma wouldn't get jealous over hanging out, right?" Those were his last words before he left, blowing her a small kiss as he walked down the hallway and out of the double doors. Ellie just stood in place, disgusted from him blowing her a kiss, and amazed at what she was just offered. She decided that standing in an empty hallway at school wasn't going to solve any of her problems, so she decided to sleep on it and figure something out tomorrow.  
  
Even though confused, Ellie was also angry. She didn't think it was fair to have Sean continue to believe that Emma loved him when she was sneaking around behind his back. But she didn't want to be the one to break his heart; she just wanted to pick up the pieces.  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Jay walked down the street with an extra boost in his step. His plan was flawless. He would just get Ellie to work into getting a reaction out of Sean, he would get evidence of them dating to Emma, then he would try to work his way into her trust so he could deceive Sean even more. They wouldn't know what hit them when he was finished. Then he could have all of the things he needs to work on his car. It was too perfect.  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()() ()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Okay guys. That's it for this chapter. I'll make the next chapter more interesting, I promise. R&R!


	10. Ellie's feelings

Hey Everyone! I am so sorry that it has been so long since I have updated. I've been busy thinking up ideas for new stories and I kind of lost track of time. Lame excuse, I know but it's the truth. But, no need to dwell in the past. This chapter is up! So read and review.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
The next day was a nice breezy day as the students as Degrassi walked into school to begin learning. Emma and Sean walked down the hall holding hands and laughing. Jay just looked at them from inside the library, disgusted. This new plan of his had two good perks. One would be getting what he wanted and the other would be getting rid of "environment chick", as he so gracefully called her. He decided that he would set his plan into action in the hall before lunch.  
  
Ellie entered school the same time as Emma and Sean and she also saw how affectionate they were to one another and she couldn't help but feel badly. She had feelings for Sean, but he would never return them. Despite what Jay said, she knew that Emma wouldn't cheat on Sean for anything in the world, just as Sean wouldn't cheat on her. She was confused. She didn't trust Jay. No one in the school really did. But she couldn't help but consider believing what he said. It gave her a shred of hope in her actually having Sean.  
  
/Ellie's POV/  
  
I don't know what to do. I mean, I'm supposed to like Marco. I'm supposed to be his girlfriend. No, I can't blame this on Marco. He is gay and I have to accept that he will never be with me. But, where are these feelings for Sean coming from? Yeah, we talked in class once, but that shouldn't mean anything. Maybe it's stress. My dad has been gone for a few weeks now and things at home are changing...again. Great, I just had to get myself depressed now. Anyway, I don't know why I like Sean. He's just so nice, yet misunderstood at the same time. He's like me. And I don't want to go through my problems alone so maybe he doesn't either. But that's what he has Emma for. She supports him. But what if Emma is cheating? I'm not going to bring my hopes up by assuming, but if she actually were cheating, it would break his heart. And I would be the one to pick up the pieces, right? Yeah, but how am I so sure that he would feel the same about me as I do him? Breaking up with someone doesn't mean you just go to the first person you see. I'm speaking as if she is cheating on him. Well, I'll talk to him myself. I'll see if Jay was telling the truth, if only a little of it. If Sean seems happy with Emma, then I'll leave her alone, but if he isn't happy, then I'll make my move.  
  
Normal POV  
  
Ellie walked down the hall to her homeroom after that thought. She would talk to Sean on his way to lunch and find out for herself.  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
Classes started and ended quicker than usual for some students as the bell indicating that lunch is starting finally rang. Everyone filed out of class and went to their respected group of friends and proceeded to the lunchroom.  
  
Sean and Emma kissed each other goodbye as Emma walked into Snake's classroom. He wasn't feeling very well so she decided to eat lunch with him today. Sean didn't complain but inside he was a bit hurt. But, sense it was Emma and he didn't want to seem selfish, he smiled and wished him well.  
  
After Emma left, Ellie walked up right beside Sean.  
  
"Hey" She said with a smile.  
  
"Hey" He said, returning it.  
  
"So, where's Emma? You two are usually always together."  
  
"She went to see Mr. Simpson. He's not feeling well so she is going to eat lunch with him."  
  
"Are you upset about that?" Ellie asked, feeling a bit stupid for getting to the point so fast. Sean didn't seem to notice as he answered her question.  
  
"No...yes. Well, I love Emma and all but it seems like she is always obligated to do anything and everything that comes into her life. I don't know. It seems like her mom and 'dad' never do anything. Every time I talk to her she is either babysitting or she is helping with Mr. Simpson. And the more she has to do, the less time we have to see each other."  
  
"Well, everyone gets a break sometimes. Do you think she could be lieing to you?"  
  
"What are you getting at? She's always home and I even help her with watching her little brother sometimes. She never lies to me unless she thinks she is trying to protect me by doing that. And even then, I always find out anyway."  
  
"Well, I was just wondering. It seems like she keeps giving you excuses that don't really make sense. Like she has a secret life."  
  
"Now what are you implying? You think that Emma is lieing to me because she has a secret life as a super heroine or something?" He asked with a laugh.  
  
"Look, Emma and I have no secrets from each other and even if we did, we will tell each other when the time comes. I trust her and I wouldn't believe anything about her from anyone unless she confirms it."  
  
Ellie stopped walking as Sean entered the lunchroom and sat with Spinner and the rest of the basketball team. She had her head down and was trying to register everything she had just heard. She was so oblivious to her surroundings that she didn't notice Jay grab her arm and lead her to one of the tables in the cafeteria. She was kicked out of her trance when he began to speak.  
  
"I saw you talking to Cameron. Spill." He demanded.  
  
Ellie glared at him and began to speak.  
  
"He is totally in love with her, they have no secrets from each other, and he wouldn't believe nay rumor about her unless she told him it was true herself."  
  
"Damn." He aid as he banged his fist on the table. This wasn't going as planned.  
  
"Look, you are lieing. They are happy with one another. I am not going to interfere."  
  
"Yes you will! This will work. You just have to try harder and stop being such a wimp. He was most likely saying stuff just to get you to leave him alone. Try harder. Talk to environment chic next time. Don't screw this up or I will embarrass the heck out of you. You have no idea what interesting things my girlfriend hears in the girl's bathroom." He said before leaving.  
  
Ellie just sat at the table, staring at her hand that was tracing the scars on her arm.  
  
"How did I get myself into this?"  
  
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()  
  
Okay everyone. Sorry this chapter wasn't as good as the others. I promise that the talk with Emma should be a bit more interesting. Who knows, I might put another fight scene in here. Tell me what you think. 


	11. Accused

Hey Everyone! I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I have all these things to do with school so I haven't had time. Besides, it wouldn't be fair to you if I just wrote it to get it over with and didn't put any creative thinking into it. Thanks for all of the great reviews. I look forward to getting more for this chapter. I hope you like it.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi  
  
000000000000000000000000000  
  
Ellie felt like she was going to be sick. All week she had been trying to talk Sean into telling her about any insecurity in his relationship with Emma and he hasn't said anything. And Jay was on her case about it all the time. He even called her house at 3 am just to remind her to talk to Emma or he would go through on his threat to embarrass her. So, now, on Friday afternoon, she is on her way to see Emma in the library.  
  
/Ellie's POV/  
  
Okay, I'm going to talk to her. I see no point in talking to her. If I couldn't get anything out of Sean then how the heck can I get any information out of her? If I keep talking to both of them they are going to suspect something soon. I can't believe that I am actually doing all of this, and for what? Just so I will have a small chance with Sean...oh yeah, and so I won't be humiliated. Since when has humiliation ever bothered me? I am the ' goth chic' as Jay called me once. I'm used to hearing whispers and snickers from people behind my back, so this shouldn't be any different. Maybe I care now because I knew what people were saying about me. But he is referring to something that people don't know. It would be easier if I knew exactly what blackmail he had on me.  
  
/Normal POV/  
  
As Ellie continued walking towards the library she spotted Marco at his locker. He waved at her and motioned for her to go to him.  
  
"Hey Ellie. What's going on? We haven't talked in ages."  
  
"Hey Marco. I'm sorry, I've just been really busy with a project I'm working on."  
  
"You don't need to apologize. Work is work, right? Is it something you need help on? I know that we aren't in all the same classes, but I haven't heard about any project from anyone else."  
  
"Actually, I'm not doing this project for school. It's just something that I need to do."  
  
"Oh." He said, getting a little suspicious.  
  
"Well, I have to go talk to someone. I'll try to call you later, ok?"  
  
"Sure Ellie. Good luck with your project." He yelled to her as she walked off.  
  
Once Ellie got to the library she saw Emma sitting alone at a table reading a book on the rainforest. She seemed really engrossed in an article.  
  
Ellie decided to sit across from her and wait for her to notice. It didn't take long as Emma put the book down and looked straight at her.  
  
"Hi." Ellie said, putting on a fake cheery smile.  
  
"Uh, hi." Emma said. She was a little confused as to why Ellie was there.  
  
"I know that we don't know each other very well, but I wanted to talk to you about something."  
  
"Okay, what's up?" Emma said, giving Ellie her undivided attention.  
  
"Well..." She started, not really knowing how to phrase the question. She didn't want to sound pushy, but she wanted to get information at the same time.  
  
"Well, I've been hearing things from someone about you and Sean. And, well, I wanted to make sure that they weren't true."  
  
"What kind of things? And from who?" Emma asked.  
  
"Well, I heard it in the hallway and I don't know whose voice it was." She lied. If she told Emma that it was Jay then another fight would break out and she would be the cause of it.  
  
"Well, what kind of things?"  
  
"I've been hearing that you have been cheating on Sean."  
  
"WHAT!?!?" Emma screamed as she stood abruptly, knocking her chair down in the process.  
  
Everyone in the library looked up to see what all the noise was about. Ellie, getting Emma right into her trap, continued her scheme.  
  
"Yeah, the person said that you are a two timing slut who is just using Sean because you don't have anything better to do. They said that the other guy you are with goes to Bardell( AN: No, it isn't Dean. And did I spell Bardell right?), and that he has a bad reputation."  
  
"Well, whoever you heard this from is such a lier. I would never use anyone like that, especially not Sean."  
  
"Well, you better not be lieing to me, because if I find out that this is true then I will tell Sean and then he will be free of YOU!!!"  
  
Ellie stormed out of the library in a huff as everyone else stared at Emma. Emma had to get out of their before she was asked questions so she went into the bathroom.  
  
Jay, who had watched the whole thing, smirked...yes, the plan was going great. Soon they would break up and Sean would help him steal the car parts, and he would be able to get something that Sean treasured most...  
  
00000000000000000000000000000  
  
Sorry its so short guys, but I will try to update tomorrow. Tell me how you like it so far. And yes, there will be a fight scene between Emma and Ellie. And maybe even one between Jay and...ok, I can't spoil the surprise. Just read and review okay! 


	12. Suspicion

Hey guys! I'm updating. : Those of you who care start cheering: Thanks so much for the reviews. I have a plan that I won't end this story until I have at least 100 reviews or more. I really hope that you will still review, because I might make a sequel if enough people agree on one. Anyway, there should be a fight scene in the next chapter so keep reviewing and I will update faster.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi  
  
00000000000000000000000000  
  
Emma entered the bathroom and walked into the nearest stall and locked the door. Her head was spinning from the information that still hasn't sunk in. Someone was spreading rumors about her being a dirty slut who was cheating on Sean. What's worse is that Sean might know about the rumor and believe it. Emma decided that she had to talk to Sean as soon as possible, but that wasn't going to be easy.  
  
Snake had been following Emma and Sean, it seemed. Anytime they were together, he was either in the same room or close enough to watch. Emma wanted, no, needed to talk to him. For both their sakes. Emma started thinking about the situation again.  
  
/Emma's POV/  
  
I can't believe this is happening. But the pieces still don't fit. If someone heard a rumor about me, like Manny or someone besides Ellie, they would confront me when I was alone, not in a public place. I don't get it. Sean says she's cool, that she is kind of misunderstood like him. Then...why would she act like I did something to her? The way she was looking at me made it seem like she and Sean have a deeper relationship than friendship. No, Sean wouldn't cheat on me. And I wouldn't cheat on him. The whole school knows this, so why is she the only one telling me about this rumor? When she first told me about it in the library everyone else seemed in shock, like they had heard it for the first time like me. Usually rumors spread fast and everyone else knows but you. Something isn't right here and I am going to find out what is going on. But first I want to speak to Sean.  
  
/Normal POV/  
  
Emma walked down the hall to Sean's locker. If he wasn't with her during a free period then he was in front of his locker listening to his cd player.( AN: Does Degrassi even have free periods?)  
  
Sure enough, Sean was there. Emma stopped in front of him and sat down. Sean took off his headphones and faced her.  
  
"Have you heard any rumors about me cheating on you with a boy from Bardell?"  
  
"What? Where did you get that idea?" He asked with a small laugh.  
  
"Well, your friend Ellie came to me while I was in the library and said that she heard someone calling me a slut because I was two timing you with a guy from Bardell. I wanted to know if you or anyone else has heard a similar rumor."  
  
"Who did she hear it from?"  
  
"She said that she didn't see the person's face."  
  
"Well, no one has mentioned this to me, not even Ellie, and I just saw her an hour ago."  
  
"Well, I just wanted to tell you not to believe it. You know that I would never do anything like that to you or anyone else."  
  
"Don't worry. Do I look upset? I wouldn't have believed it if anyone told me before you did. I'll keep my eyes and ears open about this rumor. If I find the person who spread this I will..."  
  
"You will what, Mr. Cameron?"  
  
Emma and Sean looked up to see Snake looking down at them. Emma sighed. This was really getting on her nerves. Was he going to follow her on dates with him too?  
  
"I was going to say that I will tell everyone it is a lie and put a stop to it." Sean said, looking just about as pissed as Emma.  
  
"Snake, don't you have class to teach? We are just talking. You don't need to watch us do that."  
  
"I'm still not comfortable with you two being together and I am not going to let my guard down either. Now Emma, don't make any plans after school. I've got to go to the hospital for treatment so you need to watch Jack."  
  
"But I was going to go to Sean's after school."  
  
"Well, you just have to change your plans."  
  
"Well, can't Jack come with me?"  
  
"No, Emma. Now we are not going to discuss this any more. I will take you home."  
  
Then he walked away. Sean just watched him go and shook his head. He was really getting on his nerves and watching him order Emma around like that made him even angrier at Snake.  
  
"Back to what we were saying. Look, I think Ellie has a hidden agenda. No one else in school seems to even know about this rumor. Besides, she made it seem like once you broke up with me then you would go straight to her. I think she likes you, Sean."  
  
"No way. We are just friends Emma, nothing more. I promise." He said, bringing her into his arms.  
  
"Well, please keep the possibility open. I really think she is working with someone to get you. And I haven't heard from Jay in a long time. Something big might be going on."  
  
"Then we will handle it when the problem comes to us, okay?"  
  
"Okay."  
  
"After school, if your mom lets me, I will come over and help you watch Jack. So we can still have fun watching movies and eating junk and you can still watch Jack and have help."  
  
"That sounds great."  
  
"Cool."  
  
0000000000000000000  
  
Okay, guys. I know it isn't the best chapter. This is a bit short too, but I have someplace to be in about 15 minutes so, I will either update Monday or Tuesday. Please review. 


	13. Secret's out!

Hey guys. I'm so sorry that it has been so long since I have updated, but I have good reasons. 1) I had to work a lot, and 2) I had writer's block and I had no idea how I was gonna make this chapter. But now, it's here!  
  
AN: Ok, I just wanted to let you know that Emma is fighting. I know that it is a bit unlikely that Emma would actually fight with anyone. She likes settling things peacefully. But I just wanted to put a twist in, with Emma fighting. Oh, and I am not an Ellie hater. She isn't the bad guy in this fic, Jay is. I am also not that much of a Jay hater, but he is the bad guy in this fanfic. Ellie, after this chapter, won't be mean anymore...well, unless you want her to be. So, don't flame please.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi  
  
000000000000000000000000000  
  
Emma was walking down the hallway towards the doors that led outside. She was looking for Ellie to talk to her about Sean and the whole rumor thing. Once outside, she spotted Ellie sitting on a bench, messing with her camera. Emma slowly walked over and sat down in front of her.  
  
"What do you want?" Ellie said, a bit coolly.  
  
Emma was confused. Why was Ellie, a person she hardly knew, angry with her?  
  
"First I want to know why you made a big scene in the library over something you know isn't true?" Emma asked.  
  
"I don't know it isn't true."  
  
"Well, I'm telling you that it isn't. I would never do that to Sean. I love him too much." Emma said truthfully.  
  
"Sean is my friend and a really good person. I don't want someone that I care about to get hurt."  
  
"Why is it that you won't believe what I am telling you? I am not cheating on Sean."  
  
"Look, I don't want to talk to you. Just go away and tell Sean that I will talk to him after school."  
  
Ellie got up from the table and started walking away. Emma also got up and followed her. She didn't know what Ellie's deal was. But she was going to find out.  
  
Emma walked in front of Ellie and they both stopped.  
  
"What is your problem? It's like you have some grudge against me. I don't know why, because I barely know you."  
  
"Sean is too good for a person who decides to cheat on him."  
  
"For the 10th time, I am NOT cheating on him!!!"  
  
By now, everyone who was outside eating lunch was now staring and the two girls.  
  
"You need to back off. You're making yourself look really pathetic."  
  
/Ellie's POV/  
  
I'm starting to confuse myself. But Jay is watching this from behind a table, so I have to make it look good. I don't want to do this anymore. I like Sean. I really like him. But Emma looks extremely pissed off and I can tell that Jay wants me to fight her. Not argue, he means fistfight. Emma would never do that. She is the kind who wants to break up fights, not start them. Jay is motioning for me to punch her. How can he ask something like that of me? Marco, Ashley, and the rest of my friends are watching this argument. Marco has a confused look on his face. I never told him about this. But, then again, I'm just talking gibberish. Jay looks angry now. He keeps pounding his fist into the palm of his other hand. Afterwards, he puts his index finger to his necks and slides it across. I am supposing that the threat is meant for me.  
  
/Normal POV/  
  
Ellie stopped looking at Jay and turned back to Emma. She raised her fist and punched Emma in her lip.  
  
Emma was shocked, to say the least. But she wasn't as shocked as Marco. Everyone who was watching the argument before now made a circle around the two and some started making bets.  
  
Emma held her lip. It was bleeding pretty badly. But that wasn't going to stop her from retaliating if she had to.  
  
Ellie was also shocked. Jay was laughing as he motioned Ellie to look towards the steps that led into Degrassi. There, on the steps, was Sean. He looked at her with a mix of anger and shock.  
  
Ellie looked back at Jay and scowled. He just laughed more and told her to punch Emma again. Ellie was going to just walk away, but she didn't have a chance to as Emma punched her in her stomach.  
  
Now the crowd was really stunned. No one would ever believe that Emma Nelson would hit someone out of anger.  
  
By now, Ellie had forgotten all about Jay and Sean. Emma knocked the wind out of her and made her double over in pain.  
  
Ellie stood up and lunged at Emma. They both fell to the ground. Emma was pulling Ellie's hair and kneeing her in the stomach while Ellie was scratching and punching Emma anywhere she could. Then they stood up and started punching and kicking one another.(AN: I know, my fight scenes aren't the best. Just imagine it with me.)  
  
Sean, who was standing on the steps, was now standing next to Marco in the front of the crowd. Sean had seen Jay laughing and motioning for Ellie to do things. Marco looked at Sean with a confused and 'should we stop them?' look. Sean nodded to him and Marco understood. They both ran in the middle of the circle. Sean grabbed Emma by her waist and moved her back, away from Ellie. Marco grabbed Ellie under her arms so he could kick her camera out of the way.  
  
"Let me go, Sean!!!"  
  
"Yeah, Marco. We aren't finished!" They said as they tried to get out of their grips. Sean and Marco just held them tighter.  
  
"Well, we wouldn't have started if you hadn't punched me!"  
  
"Well, I wouldn't have punched you if you hadn't followed me!"  
  
"Don't turn this on me. You had to have an attitude when I was trying to explain to you that the rumor isn't true!"  
  
"Well maybe I don't want to believe you because I don't want you with Sean!"  
  
Ellie, after realizing what she said, covered her mouth with her hands. Emma looked at her, everything that happened that day coming into place.  
  
"I knew it! You started the rumor!" Emma yelled. Sean was having a hard time holding on to her. S he wasn't stronger than he was, but she was wiggling too much.  
  
"No, I didn't. Marco, just let me go!!!" Marco, caught off guard, let go of her. Ellie grabbed her camera and ran into the school.  
  
"I'm going to see if she is alright." Ashley said, running after her.  
  
After Ashley left, Sean looked over to where he saw Jay and found that he was gone. He was about to question where, but found out when he looked to find Snake and Mr. Radditch looking down to where they were both standing. Jay was with them, smirking the entire time.  
  
00000000000000000000000  
  
Okay guys, that's it for this chapter. I really hope you like it. I know that Emma tries to settle things with out violence, but you have to understand that Ellie punched her first. And Emma was going to try to talk to her before that. And you also have to understand that, even though Emma believes in non-violence, she isn't a wimp. And she wasn't going to sit there and get beat up. Hope you guys agree with me. Please, no flames. Review! 


	14. In trouble again

Alright. Next chapter is here!!! I am very sorry about not updating sooner. This time, it wasn't my fault. My computer was screwing up and I couldn't get online at all, so I couldn't post. But I can now, so enjoy. No flames, please.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi  
  
00000000000000000  
  
Sean and Emma looked up in horror as Snake and Radditch made their way down the stairs and towards them. Snake looked beyond pissed; Radditch just wanted to know what happened.  
  
"Alright, everyone go back inside, now!" Yelled Radditch.  
  
Everyone who was watching the fight, including Marco, cleared out and into the building. Once everyone was inside, Radditch turned to Sean and Emma and began to speak again.  
  
"Now, what happened here?"  
  
"Well, I was trying to talk to Ellie about a rumor that started about me, but then she punched me in the lip. I didn't know what I was thinking when I punched her back." Emma said, the situation starting to sink in.  
  
"Well, what does Mr. Cameron have to do with this fight?"  
  
"Why do I automatically have something to do with it?" Sean said in an angry tone. Just because he got into fights before doesn't mean that he is involved with all the fights at Degrassi.  
  
"You don't, Mr. Cameron. I'm just trying to get the facts. The only reason I asked is because Jay told us the entire story in my office while the fight was going on. Now, I just want to here your side."  
  
Emma and Sean told Mr. Radditch the entire story of the rumor and the events with Jay before.  
  
"Emma, I am aware that you were upset when you punched Ellie, but that is no excuse. You and Ellie fought, so I have to punish you. I am assigning you 2 weeks cleaning duty in the cafeteria."  
  
"That isn't even fair, Mr. Radditch. If you got punched in the face by someone for no reason, would you just sit there and let the person do it again?" Sean asked, his voice getting angrier by the second.  
  
"Mr. Cameron, be quiet. This was not your fight. You do not have to defend Ms. Nelson." "Yes, sir." Sean said, unwillingly. He didn't want to get Emma or himself in anymore trouble.  
  
Snake, who hadn't said a word since he got there, began to speak.  
  
"Emma, get your things, I'm taking you home."  
  
"What? Why? The nurse can help me with my lip. I don't need mom to do it."  
  
"Do as I say, Emma!" He said in a more forceful voice.  
  
Emma didn't reply, but ran up the stairs and into the building. Snake watched her go then turned to Sean.  
  
"I knew this would happen. I knew that if she continued to see you then you would have a bad influence on her."  
  
"I had nothing to do with this. Emma didn't even know I was there when Ellie punched her. Besides, how if self defense my influence? If anything, you should be a bit proud that your wife's daughter could defend herself."  
  
"You have crossed the line, Cameron. Emma isn't just my 'wife's daughter'. She is my daughter too."  
  
"Yeah, right. What kind of father makes his daughter take on every single responsibility in her own house? Have you even seen how tired she gets? Always babysitting Jack, maintaining her grades, cleaning, doing everything she can to make things easy for you!"  
  
"I don't ask her to do half the things that she does. She does them because she wants to help."  
  
"Well, when she doesn't want to help, when she wants to spend time with her friends and me, then what? Emma and I haven't gone out in days because you always have someplace to go and you need a free babysitter."  
  
"I have had it with you! You have had an attitude ever since I met you. You don't deserve to have Emma as a girlfriend. And I will see to it that you won't see her again!"  
  
"Like hell you will!" Sean said as he ran into Degrassi to find Emma.  
  
Snake and Radditch watched as Sean ran into the school.  
  
"The boy is misunderstood, Archie. Emma is one of the only people that don't judge him just by his actions. With out Emma, he would have been sent back to his parents a long time ago."  
  
"I don't care how misunderstood he is. He has no respect for anyone and now he is influencing Emma. I will not have her become a delinquent because of her so called 'love' for him."  
  
xxxxxxx  
  
Sean found Emma stuffing her books into her backpack angrily. When she looked over at Sean, she smiled. But the smile quickly faded as she hissed in pain. She accidentally put her notebook to her lip.  
  
Sean walked over to her and put his hand on her cheek to keep her steady. It hurt Sean a lot to see her in pain. But it hurt even more not to see her at all.  
  
"I won't let him separate us, Em." He said in a low whisper.  
  
"What, Sean?"  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You just said something. I didn't hear you."  
  
"Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
"What did Snake say to you after I left?"  
  
"Oh, the usual ' you're a failure and a troublemaker and you don't deserve my daughter and I will make sure you never lay eyes on her again'. You know, that kind of bull."  
  
"Don't let it get to you, Sean. You didn't even start this fight. When I get home and tell my mom, she will be on your side, just like I always am. Don't worry."  
  
They both looked at each other and smiled. This would be the perfect time for them to kiss each other, but because of the circumstance of Emma's lip bleeding...  
  
They both bust out laughing. Sean kissed Emma on the cheek and Emma blew him a kiss.  
  
"Now, we're even." Sean said, while smiling. Emma just giggled a bit. It felt good for them to laugh again, but the seriousness wasn't over yet. They realized that when Jay came walking down the hall and stopped in front of them.  
  
Sean looked at Jay as if he wanted to gouge his eyes out. Jay just laughed at them as he continued walking. He also muttered a "see you in juvi." Just so Sean could here him.  
  
Emma decided that she better head out to Snake.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow."  
  
"Actually..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I was hoping that I could see or talk to you later tonight. I know I'm going to get the third degree from mom and Snake, but we need to talk about things."  
  
"Okay, I'll call you when I get home and we can start planning things from there."  
  
"Okay, bye."  
  
"Bye, Em."  
  
00000000000  
  
Okay, I know, a bit short. The next chapter will have Ashley and Ellie's convo, Marco and Jay's convo, and Emma and Sean's convo...there's gonna be a lot of talking next chapter...lol. Review please. 


	15. Everything is complicated

Hey people! I know, long time since I've updated. I started a new story! It's in the Akira section. I was kinda bummed because it only has one review so far, but oh well. It will get more. Okay, on with all the conversations.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi  
  
000000000000000000000000000  
  
When Radditch told everyone to go back into the building, Ashley began looking for Ellie. She looked upset to Ashley and she wanted to make sure she was all right.  
  
Ashley decided to look near their lockers, but found nothing. She thought the best place to look would be inside the girl's bathroom.( AN: I think every girl that has a problem goes in there. Where else can we go?)  
  
Ashley walked in and found Ellie in the stall farthest from the door.  
  
"Ellie?" Ashley said in a hesitant voice. She didn't know if Ellie wanted to talk or not. Her fears were put aside when Ellie opened the stall door and pulled Ashley in with her. Ashley leaned against the door and began to speak again.  
  
"Ellie, what's going on? First you start spending time with Jay, and now this."  
  
"It's complicated, Ashley."  
  
"Well, un-complicate it for me. You haven't been yourself these past few days. I know that Emma and Sean have their drama, but I didn't know that you were in on it as well."  
  
"Look, I'm sorry about what I did to Emma. I didn't want to do it, but I had no choice. This is a situation that you wouldn't understand."  
  
"Well, maybe I could try to understand if you actually told me what was going on."  
  
"Fine. I'm being blackmailed...but I may be getting something out of the situation in return."  
  
"So, it's a deal?"  
  
"No, I don't want to do it, but if I don't, then I wouldn't be able to have what I want."  
  
"You aren't making any sense here, Ellie. Does Marco know anything about this?"  
  
"No, he doesn't. He suspects something, but I didn't tell him. And I don't want to tell him. He wouldn't understand either."  
  
"But maybe we can both help you get what you want. Just tell me what it is."  
  
Ellie took a deep breath. She practically blurted her feeling out to the entire school only moments before, she might as well tell one of her best friends.  
  
"I want to be Sean Cameron's girlfriend."  
  
Ashley stared at her; the initial shock from hearing it outside came streaming back.  
  
"So, that's why you have been spreading rumors about Emma dating—"  
  
"No, I didn't spread the rumor. Jay did."  
  
"So, Jay has been blackmailing you to...?"  
  
"To break Sean and Emma up so that Sean can become one of Jay's little goons or something."  
  
"And with Emma out of the picture..."  
  
"I can have Sean to myself."  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
After Ashley went to find Ellie, Marco set his sights on finding Jay. He knew that Jay was telling Ellie to fight, but he didn't know why. Ellie hadn't been talking to him as often as she used to, so he didn't really know anything about what was going on.  
  
After searching around the whole school, he finally found Jay outside, sitting with his 'friends'.  
  
' _Why didn't I check out here before?_'  
  
He was about to walk up to him and tell him off, but didn't think that as wise. He knew that it would result in another fistfight. Jay was also against gay people, so that would make his beating even worse.  
  
' _I can ask Dylan to help me talk to them. No, I don't want to put Dylan through this mess. Jimmy? No, he's out sick today. Yes! I know exactly who._'  
  
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx  
  
A few minutes later, Marco walked up to Jay with Spinner at his side. Jay looked a bit amused when they stopped in front of him. His smirk grew even wider as Marco began to speak.  
  
"What have you done to Ellie?" Marco was extremely angry and that smirk only fueled his anger.  
  
"Whatever do you mean?"  
  
"You know what he means." Spinner countered.  
  
"Yeah? And why are you here 'Gavin'?"  
  
"Don't call me that! Just answer the question."  
  
"She's doing what she wants. Now go away. You are boring me now."  
  
"No! You made her fight Emma. I saw you under the table. Did you hurt her to make her do that, because if you did then I will—"  
  
"You'll what? As if a little punk like you can do anything to be. Believe me, if you liked that bashing after Homo-chuck's game, then you will love the one that we have planned for you."(1)  
  
"And if you love the fear of being beaten by Homo-chuck himself, then you will leave that girl alone."  
  
Marco and Spinner turned around to see Dylan walk up behind them. Paige waved in the background, letting them know that she sent Dylan over.  
  
"Well, I guess I had better do what he says. I don't want to get beat up. I'll tell my mommy on you." Jay said in a childish voice as his friends laughed with him.  
  
"Like I said, you are boring me. She is doing what I say to get what she wants. Now stay out of my way."  
  
Jay and his friends walked away inside of the building.  
  
"What is going on here? I heard from Paige that there was a fight between a 9th and 10th grader. Then she pulls me out of class saying that I need to help you guys."  
  
"It's really complicated, Dylan. I don't even know everything that's going on."  
  
0000000000000000000000  
  
Yay! Okay, a few notes here.  
  
In this story I am making it so that Jay knows about Marco's bashing. I have no idea if he knew in the show or not. He didn't do it, but knows.  
  
Oh, and I decided that, since all this happened before Sean and Emma started talking, I will put Sean and Emma's convo in the next chapter. I really hope you like this one. I had fun writing it. Please review. 


	16. New plan

Hey everyone! : Dodges rotten fruit being thrown at her: I know, It has been a long time since I have updated and I am sorry. I had to update my new Akira story and my grandmother is here for a visit so I haven't had a chance to update. Thank you all for being so patient. I don't think this chapter will be very long, but it is all about Emma and Sean, so that's always good. No flames please.

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

000000000000000000000000000

"Em, what happened?" Spike said as Emma and Snake walked through the door. Emma's lip had started bleeding again and the tissue she was using didn't mask the bloodstains.

"She was in a fight."

"I believe she was asking me." Emma said as she sat on the couch. She was angry that Snake was making a huge deal out of something that wasn't even her fault.

"Emma, what has gotten into you?"

"Why do you always listen to him first before you listen to me?"

"I'm not Emma, I just want to know the facts. Now let me see your lip."

Spike sat down next to her with a first aid kit and started to clean it and fix it up. About 5 minutes later it stopped bleeding.

"Now, what happened?"

"I was trying to talk to Ellie about a rumor that started about me, but she was blowing me off. So I followed her and then she punched me. Then I punched her back. Then we started to kick and pull each other's hair and stuff. Sean and Marco pulled us apart."

"So she punched you because you were trying to ask her about something?"

"Yeah. I know she was kind of annoyed. I was too, but she didn't have to punch me."

"Mr. Raddtich gave her 3 weeks cafeteria duty. He said that Ellie would get a worse punishment for starting it." Snake added as he went to the kitchen to get some water.

"Okay, so why are you two home?"

"Because we need to talk about Emma. Her behavior is becoming more and more like Cameron's."

"His name is Sean and I am not becoming like him."

"Think of it Spike, first Sean and Jay get into a fight and now Emma and Ellie Nash. Over something that no one else knows about. This has gotten out of hand. I seriously believe that she is changing because of him and I don't think they should see each other anymore and I will make sure of it."

"We have had this conversation before, 'dad'! I will not stop seeing my boyfriend because you think that he is changing me. If anything, I am changing him. I am helping him control his temper. And he loves me, that's why he fought Jay. And I love him, that's why I fought Ellie."

"When are you going to stop being so naïve and listen to what you are saying?"

"I am not about to sit here and listen to you speak badly about him when you don't even understand why he does the things he does. You never wanted us to be together in the first place. So whatever you say doesn't make any sense. I am going down to my room and calling Sean so we can talk."

"Spike, do you see how she is changing now? She had never raised her voice to us before."

"Yeah, besides the time where mom lied about my dad! Maybe I should go visit him. He wouldn't make me give up the person I love just because he is paranoid."

"Emma! Snake! That is enough. I am sick of hearing this. Emma, I will speak to you about this later. You too Snake!"

Spike went upstairs and into Jack's room and closed the door, leaving no room for argument.

Emma looked at Snake and ran downstairs and reached for the phone. She dialed Sean's number and then realized that school wasn't out yet. She decided to do the next best thing and laid down to take a quick nap.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma woke up to her phone ringing. She groaned and looked at the clock on her nightstand. It read 6:23.

"Hello"

"Em. Hey"

"Sean. I have a plan for us this weekend."

"Uh...ok. What are we going to do?"

"We are going to visit my father."

"Why?"

"Because I am sick of being in this house. Snake does nothing but talk badly about you and my mom is starting to feed into it. I just need to get away."

"Okay, whatever you want Emmy. Now I have a plan for Jay."

"What?"

"We are going to play his game and set him up."

0000000000000000000000000

Okay, I know this chapter sucked, but there will be a few more chapters and then I will think about a sequel. You guys have to tell me if you want one or not. Oh, and sorry for any grammar mistakes or typos. I know this chapter sucks so i'm sorry. No flames, please.


	17. Visiting Shane

Hi guys. This chapter might not be too long because I want to update my Akira story as well. Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews. You all are so very cool! I didn't update sooner because I had forgotten what the plan for Jay was. I just remembered like five minutes ago. Lol. So I really hope you enjoy this.

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

000000000000000000000000000

The week passed by quickly but painfully. Emma and Snake went at it about Sean everyday and Spike was so tired of it that she just left the room when they started. But now the weekend was upon them, which meant Spike and Snake had to go to the hospital for Snake's check up. Emma was so happy that Spike decided to take Jack with them. Now she wouldn't have to be responsible for him when they went to Stouffville.

"Now Emma, we should only be gone for a few hours, okay? Now, when we come back, please try to be nice to Snake."

"I am nice to him."

"When I say nice, I mean don't argue with him. Agree with everything he says, even if you don't mean it. He will be tired when he gets home and he shouldn't over exert himself. So just stay off the subject of Sean, can you do that?"

"Yes, I won't mention anything that might upset him."

"Thank you. We're leaving now. Snake, is Jack ready?"

"Yup, I have him all dressed and he has two full bottles and an extra blanket. He also has baby food. We are all set."

"I hope the appointment goes well." Emma said as she hugged them both and watched them go to the car.

"It will. Stay out of trouble Emma. And order a pizza if you get hungry. Spike left money on the counter." Snake said with a smile. He was happy that they could still speak to each other with out arguing.

"Thanks." She said as she watched them drive off. She went back inside and smiled to herself. Today would be a nice day for her and Sean. They would get out of the house and see new things. She remembered how fun the train ride with Craig was on her first trip to Stouffville. She was so nervous that she barely noticed how nice it was.

She went to her room and called Sean to see if he was ready. They only had a few hours before her parents came home and the ride to Stouffville is a good hour and a half.

"Hello." Sean said groggily as he answered the phone. He already knew who it was. Who else would call him at 8 am on a Saturday?

"Sean. Did you just wake up?!"

"Relax, Emma. I have been up for the past thirty minutes. I was just teasing you."

"You scared me for a minute. You know that we only have a limited time to do this. We have to take a bus down to the train station. The next bus leaves in 20 minutes and then the train arrives about 5 minutes after that. Then we would get to Stouffville around 9: 30. The walk is pretty short, around 10 minutes. We don't have to stay long if you don't want to. You can meet him then we can go to lunch or something. The thing is that I don't know when the train station closes so I want to get back home before it does. Last time Craig and I were stuck there and Joey had to pick us up."

"Whoa, slow down. First off, we can stay as long as you want us to. I am really anxious to meet your father since I couldn't the last time. Second, I think the train stations stay open a bit longer on weekends, so I wouldn't worry about us getting left behind. I told Tracker where we were going as a back up so we would have a ride if we were left behind."

"Okay, I just want this to go as planned."

"This is supposed to be a day where we both relax, so start doing it." He said while laughing a bit.

"Okay, well, I'm ready so hurry up and get over here so we can make the bus." She said in a rushed voice.

"I was just leaving." He said and then hung up.

Emma smiled as she hung up. She was so excited.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sean and Emma entered the train and sat in an empty booth away from the door.

"So, having fun so far?" Sean asked while taking the bag of grapes from her.

"Well, I guess. I mean, I haven't been stressed. How about you? I bet you're happy about not having to answer the phone for Tracker all day." She said while taking the grapes back from him.

He put on a mock-anger face and threw a few grapes at her. Emma laughed and threw some at him. Soon there were green grapes all over the floor and seats of the train. They just laughed and cleaned the mess up.

The rest of the ride was peaceful. Emma told Sean about her many arguments with Snake and Sean told her about his many encounters with Snake and Jay. After their conversation Emma fell asleep in Sean's arms while he stayed up listening to his cd player for the rest of the ride.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The train pulled into the station right on schedule. Emma and Sean left the station and began walking to the institution.( AN: Is it an institution or a hospital?)

The walk was similar to the one they had when going to the park with Jack a couple of weeks ago. Sean smiled when he remembered what Emma told him about being a great father one day. Thinking about Emma took away most of the tension he felt. Emma saw him smiling and gave him a happy, curious look.

"What are you so happy about?"

"Nothing really. Just being here with you, knowing that absolutely nothing can break us apart." He said while putting his arm around her.

"You are absolutely right. I will always be on your side, you know that right?"

"Yeah, and you know that I will always be on your side."

"I know." She said while smiling at him. He thought she looked so gorgeous and he couldn't help but kiss her.

Emma was a bit shocked that he would kiss her so passionately in public, but immediately responded to the kiss.

People on the street commented on how cute they looked as they passed by. Emma and Sean just blushed and continued walking. They saw the institution after a few more minutes of walking.

When they got there, Emma began looking for Shane's nurse. She wanted to make sure that Shane was up to having visitors today. She walked up to her when she saw her sitting at a desk in the lobby.

"Miss?"

"Yes, may I help you?" She said, looking up from her magazine.

"You may not remember me, but I am Emma Nelson. I'm Shane McKay's –."

"Daughter. Yes, I do remember you." She said with a smile. Emma returned the smile.

"Yes, well, I want to visit my father and I am wondering if I am allowed to with out an appointment?"

"Well, seeing as you have come with out an appointment before and you are his daughter, I may be able to let you see him."

The lady got up and led Emma and Sean upstairs to Shane's room.

"So, who is this?" She said, referring to Sean.

"This is my boyfriend, Sean." Sean just waved.

"Nice to meet you."

"So, how has my father been?"

"He talks about you all the time. Asking when you will be back. He wrote to you, but he accidentally spilled something on the letter. He was upset, but I told him that I could fix it and that I would send it to you."

"Oh." She glanced at Sean. He seemed deep in thought.

When they reached the room the nurse told them that they could handle things on their own. She also said that if they needed anything then she would come help.

Emma thanked her before she and Sean stepped into the room.

Shane was sitting on his bed, knitting a pair of gloves. Emma smiled and sat on the bed next to him. Sean just stayed standing.

"Hi dad."

It took Shane a while to register that Emma was there, but when he did he smiled at her.

"Hello Emma." He said while putting his knitting down and hugging her.

"Dad, there is someone that I want you to meet." She stood up with him and nodded for Sean to come over.

"Dad, this is Sean. He is a really, really close friend of mine."

"Hello Sean."

"Hi Mr. McKay." Sean said a bit shyly.

He turned back to Emma as he said his next statement.

"Why haven't you visited me?"

"I have been really busy and I haven't had a chance, but I do now. That's why I'm here."

"I'm glad that you are here, Emma."

Emma just smiled as he turned around to face Sean again.

"So, you are Emma's friend?"

"Yes."

"I used to have a really, really good friend too. Her name is Spike. She is Emma's mother."

"Oh.um..."

"We were together and we made Emma." Emma blushed a deep red as she heard that.

"I know." Sean told him.

"Yeah, it was when we were 16. Emma is too young to be together with someone. She's just a little girl." He said while looking back at Emma and then to the picture of her when she was younger.

"Dad, I am together with Sean, but not in the way that you and mom were."

"You mean he is your boyfriend?"

"Yes."

Shane looked at the both of them then started to scratch himself. Emma looked around the room until she found his knitting. She gave it to him and told him that she would be back to visit again. He made a scene, but not like when he was at Emma's house. Nothing was knocked over or broken, but he did give Sean a bit of a scare. When he was calm again, Emma guided him out of the room.

000000000000000000000

Okay, that was this chapter. Please forgive me if anyone was out of character. I re-watched the episode when she and Craig went to visit Shane and I tried to make them seem realistic. Please tell me if I didn't. The next chapter will be up ASAP. Please Review. No flames, please.


	18. Insecurity

Hey. I know it's been awhile since I have updated, but I'm doing it now. So be happy. Lol. Okay, I want fluff in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

000000000000000000000000000

Sean and Emma left the hospital and walked to a small café down the block. It was a bit like The Dot, but smaller. Downstairs had the cash register and the food and upstairs had a few tables. The upstairs was a bit dark with candles on the tables. Emma and Sean smiled as they sat down and ordered something to eat.

"So, do you like him?" Emma asked as she picked up her cup and began drinking some of her hot chocolate.

"He seems nice." He said, a bit uneasy about his answer.

"I know what you mean, Sean. You don't know how to describe him."

"Yeah. Actually, I have been thinking about something."

He looked at her as she urged him to continue.

"Well, I'm just confused about parenthood. Like, my parents screwed up when I was little, so now I am screwed up. And you didn't know your biological father, and you turned out fine. What I mean is that, when I have a child, how do you think it will turn out?"

Emma was a bit confused as to why he was asking that, but it sounded like he really wanted to know this, so she told him what she thought.

"Well, Sean, I can't really tell you how a child will grow up. But I do know that if a child has a loving parent, or two loving parents, then he/she will grow up happy."

"I just think that I will mess up a child's life just like mine is now."

"Sean, I know that you will be an amazing father. You know what it's like for a child to grow up living with parents that were hardly sober and a brother that is out with girls more than he spends time with you. I know that you would make sure that it never happened to a child of yours because you know how much it hurts."

"When we visited your father, it just got me thinking. Your dad is still your dad, even when brain damaged."

"Sean, do you love me?"

"Of course, Emma."

"Then trust me when I say that you will be such a loving father. Who knows, maybe I will be there to help you along the way."

"I wouldn't doubt it."

"Okay, so no more insecurity. We are supposed to relax." She said while punching him in the arm lightly. He merely tickled her a bit.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the plan."

"Oh?"

"I know the perfect way to get Jay off of our backs for good."

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

"Give him what he wants."

"You must be joking."

"See, Jay wants me to steal for him, and Jay wants to get rid of you. I was wondering why but then something hit me. He wants you away from me so he can have you himself."

"What? Sean, that doesn't make any sense. He doesn't want me."

"Think about it, Emma. At first the plan was to get me to be his flunky, so he tried blackmail. That didn't work. So then he decided that the only way for me to do what he wanted was for you to stop influencing me to do the right thing. So he spread the rumor about you and another guy. Then came Ellie. It was all to break us up. But he keeps coming to you and trying to hurt you. Don't you think that is a little strange?"

"I see your logic but I really doubt that he wants me. I mean, Manny has more than I do now and so does like every other girl in Degrassi."

"Yeah Em, but your beautiful and he knows how much you mean to me. He's jealous and he wants to know how I feel."

"So, you mean you want me to give myself to him?"

"NO! Never in life do I want you with him. But I need you to act like you want him and not me. I can see this going to plan, but we have to make it look really good."

"Basically, I have to act like I want him after we 'break up'. Then what will you do?"

"I'll be so 'heartbroken' that I go to him and say that I stole something extremely valuable and stashed it at my house. You will say I'm not lying and do the supportive Jay crap. But he will most likely go anyway. I'll also tell him to bring anything that he might want to add."

"But Sean that would look really suspicious."

"That's where you come in. He is going to believe me because that would be the reason we broke up in the first place, see?"

"So, we are going to 'break up' because I know that you stole something worth a lot of money. Then I go out with Jay and you become his 'friend'. You tell him you have something worth a lot of money stashed at your house and he'll believe you because I can confirm it. Then you will..."

"I will trap him at my place and we will finally beat him."

"But how? Are you going to fight him?"

"No, I am going to talk and get him to fight me. Then you will see what happens."

"Are you sure this will work?"

"Do you trust me?"

"You know I do."

"Good, then it will work. Now come here." Emma stood up and walked towards him. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her neck a few times. Emma just sighed contently. She was so happy being with him. She didn't think anything could go wrong until she checked her watch.

"Sean!"

"What's the matter? Am I doing something wrong or...?"

"No, nothing like that. Mom and Snake are going to be home in forty minutes. We are an hour and a half away." She said, her voice in a panic.

"Don't worry, I can fix this." Sean said as he quickly went towards a payphone.

"I was actually having a good day. Snake and I weren't arguing, I didn't have to baby-sit, I was with you. Now I am going to get yelled at and grounded and I won't be able to see you. Sean!" Emma said, panicking with every word she said.

"Honey, it's okay." He grabbed her by her waist to make her calm down.

"How can this possibly be okay?"

"Because, lucky for us, Tracker decided to pick up some motor parts 15 minutes from here."

"Oh my gosh, he is a life saver."

"Yeah, he's on his way so we should be home in about 20 minutes. He drives fast."

00000000000000000000000000000

Okay, I guess it was an okay chapter. Not as much fluff as I wanted, but it doesn't matter. I can put more in the next chapter. Please review. No flames.


	19. Girl time

Yay! I have emerged from the ocean of schoolwork to bring you this chapter. I know that I haven't updated in a long while and it will probably be another long while until I update again. Check my profile page and at the bottom it will have the three stories that I have so far. Next to them will either say, "updated", "will be updated ASAP", or it will have the date of when I will update.

Disclaimer: I don't Degrassi

0000000000000000000000

Emma got home ten minutes before her parents did. In that short time she had taken a shower and changed into lounging clothes. She then sat on the couch and turned on the tv as her parents walked in.

"Hey Em." Spike said as she entered the living room and gave Jack to Emma.

"Hi. How was the appointment?"

"As good as it can get, I suppose." Snake said while sitting on the couch next to Emma.

"What did you do all day?" Spike asked while entering the kitchen to get Jack a bottle.

"I didn't do much. I just sat around and talked to Sean most of the day."

"Oh." Was Snake's reply.

Emma covered her mouth as she received a stern look from her mother. She had forgotten that her mom told her not to upset Snake by talking about Sean.

"Um...I'm going to go to my room and get ready for school." Snake gave her a weird look as she descended the stairs to her room.

Emma knew that it was a lame excuse, but she couldn't correct it now. It could have been believable, right? But it was Saturday...

She decided to talk on the phone to pass the time. Her mom was most likely going to order pizza. Who would cook after being in a hospital with her sick husband and her baby for most of the day?

Emma decided to call Manny and see what she was up to.

"Hello?"

"Hey Manny."

"Hey Em. What's up? We haven't talked in forever."

"I know. I have been so busy with school. Also this whole 'Jay' thing has gotten to me to."

"Yeah, I know how much stress you must be under." Manny was silent a moment before she continued.

"I know exactly what will help relieve some of that stress."

"And what would that be?" Emma asked.

"We need to go shopping."

"I don't know if I can. I think I made my mom angry."

"Oh, come on Em. Angry or not, you need to get out of the house."

'_I've already been out._' She thought to herself with a smile.

"Alright, I'll ask. Hold on."

Emma put the phone on hold and went upstairs.

"Mom, can I go to the mall with Manny?"

"I don't know Emma. Snake is really tired and so am I. It's also about to rain. You might have to watch Jack while Snake and I rest."

"Okay."

"No Spike. Let her go." He said while standing next to Emma.

"Snake, you just came from treatment."

"And, sure I may be a bit tired, but that doesn't have to keep Emma from having fun. She hasn't been out with Manny in a long time. Let her go. We can manage here for a few hours."

"Are you sure Snake? Because I can stay—"

"Go, Emma. Have fun. As far as the rain goes, take an umbrella."

"Thanks Snake." She said while giving him a smile. He gave her a thumbs up in return.

Emma ran back downstairs and picked the phone up.

"Manny, I can go!"

"Yes! This will be so much fun. Bring money. We can put our money together like we used to do when we were younger."

"Yeah, I'll even ask my mom for an extra $20. I'll meet you at your place around 5pm, okay?"

"Can't wait."

Emma hung up the phone and changed into a pair of black jeans with white stars on them, black shoes, and a white tank top with a star on the collar. She didn't put any make up on, but she did put on chap stick and a black jean jacket.

Emma went back upstairs and asked her mom for extra money. She was reluctant, but gave it to her anyway. She waved goodbye to both of them as she closed the door behind her.

0000000000000000

Okay, I will try to update soon, but I can't guarantee anything. Please review. No flames.


	20. Making a scene

Sorry, I know it has been a couple of months since I have updated. But it wasn't my fault. See... I was attacked and kidnapped by the horrible teachers at my school and they forced me to sit in a cold dungeon (classroom) and they did all sorts of horrible things (made me take notes). And then report cards came out. Luckily for me I did well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Emma and Manny laughed as they sat at a table in the food court. They were having the time of their lives. When they got to the mall they began by going to the pet store and looking at all of the baby animals. Emma even got to feed a little kitten. After that they went into Victoria's Secret and laughed at all of the, or lack of, clothes. They even bumped into Craig, which upset Manny a little. Emma took care of that with a little trip down to the ice cream parlor in the food court, which is where they are now.

"This has been so much fun. I mean, we haven't been out in weeks. Jay must really be bothering you." Manny said as she sipped more o her soda.

"You have no idea, Manny. Sean and I have been miserable for the past few weeks. It seems like no one wants us to be together."

"Don't say that. I love you two together, Em. You guys are so cute and it really shows that you two are totally in love."

"Yeah." Emma said while smiling.

"So, what did you do today?"

"Sean and I went to visit my father."

"You mean Mr. McKay? But, I thought your mom didn't want you seeing him. How did you get there?"

"Well, we took the bus to the train station and then the train to Stouffville. Tracker drove us back home after that."

"Oh." Manny tensed up and was really silent after her response.

"Manny, what's the matter?"

"Jay and his friends are here and they are coming this way." She whispered.

Emma tensed up as well. She and Manny were alone with practically no protection. By protection she meant...

"Emma." Emma turned back around and saw Sean standing behind Manny. She kind of laughed when she heard Manny sigh in relief.

"Sean, I have never been so happy to see you." Emma said while getting up to hug him.

"That goes double for me. I don't exactly know what Jay wants with you two, but I really didn't want to be in the middle of it."

Sean was about to hug Emma but stopped abruptly and pushed her back a bit.

"Sean?"

"Em, remember the plan. This is the perfect time for us to make a scene and have a 'tragic' break-up."

"Your right. What should I do?"

Sean took a deep breath before he spoke again.

"I want you to slap me, hard."

Manny looked as if she would burst out laughing. The look on Emma's face was priceless.

"What?"

"I want you to hit me. And after you do, I want you to call me a liar and tell me that Jay has more sense than I do."

"Do I want to know what's going on?" Manny cut in.

"I'll explain everything later, Manny." He turned his head back to Emma and took her hand in his.

"Are you going to be okay with this, Emma? Can you do it?"

"I'm not okay with it, but I'll do it." She said with a sigh.

"Good. Now, I'm going to walk over near the cd store. I'll give Manny a signal and then you will walk over to me and do what we rehearsed, okay?"

"Got it."

He gave her hand one last squeeze before walking over to the store.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sean gave Manny the signal when Jay and his friends were close enough to the cd store. Manny nodded to Emma to show that everything was set.

Emma took a deep breath and walked over to the store at a very fast pace. Once she reached Sean she whispered a small "I'm sorry" before slapping him full force in the face.

Sean gripped his face in mock, actually real, pain and took a few steps back.

"You bastard! You lied to me, Sean!"

"What are you talking about, Emma!?"

"You know damn well what I'm talking about! How could you ruin our relationship like this!? Gosh, even Jay could have done a better job at covering it up then you did."

"Sounds like you would rather be with him than with me!"

"Maybe I would. At least he isn't sloppy."

"Well, don't look now, but your BOYFRIEND is here."

Emma turned around and stood face to face with Jay. She realized that she was still acting and looked at him with mock shock.

"What's going on here? Is there trouble in paradise?" Jay said while smiling. His friends just laughed behind him.

"There never was a paradise. Sean has been lieing to me all along. I can't believe that I actually thought I was in love with him. I'm actually glad to see you. I want to thank you for spreading that rumor about me with another guy and for trying to break us up by using Ellie. She can have him for all I care."

"Same goes for any guy that would even consider wanting you!" Sean said while walking away. After he was out of their range of sight, he snuck around the other way and sat next to Manny where he was sure he couldn't be seen.

From his place he heard Jay trying to comfort Emma.

"Cameron is a loser. I've said that too many times."

"I should have listened to you the first time." She mumbled.

"I always knew you were smart, nature girl." He said, putting his arm around her shoulder for emphasis. Sean's face turned red with anger.

"Now let's just see how smart." Jay continued before kissing her on the lips. Emma's eyes got wide as Sean's blood started to boil. Manny had to hold him down so that he wouldn't storm out to them and ruin his plan.

_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx_

Wow, it felt so good to write again. I promise that it won't take so long for me to update again. Even I'm anxious to see what happens. Please review. No flames.


	21. Breakdown

Hi people, here's the next chapter. I've been writing this chapter for about a week or two. Please read and review. If all goes well with midterms and stuff then I will be updating alot sooner from now on. I'm at school doing this. lol. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

_ooooooooooooooooooooooooo_

"Sean, calm down!" Manny whispered frantically as Sean tried to get out of her grip.

" Calm down!?! That bastard has his lips on my girlfriend and you want me to calm down!!!!"

" But this is what you wanted right?"

"What!?!?!?"

" I didn't mean it like that. I meant that...well, you two were acting, right? Well, you have to act like you don't care, or else the plan will blow up in your face."

Sean thought about what she said for a minute before letting his shoulders drop in defeat. Instead, he sat next to Manny and painfully watched as his enemy kissed his innocent girlfriend.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Emma pulled back before Jay could slide his tongue any further in her mouth. Jay watched amused as she gagged from the contact.

" Why did you do that?" She asked with a disgusted look on her face.

" You're over Cameron, right?"

" So what if I am?"

"Then you will have to get used to showing me affection." Emma had a confused look on her face when he said that. He just smirked before going up to her and running his hand down her back before whispering in her ear.

" Because you are now my new girlfriend." The look on her face made him smirk even more before he walked off with his friends.

Emma just stood there in pure shock. She didn't snap out of her trance until Manny and Sean walked up to her.

" Are you okay, Em?"

" No, I'm not." She turned to Sean and began to speak again.

" Why did we have to do this stupid scene? Because of this, I now have to be his whore!"

" What happened? What did he say?" Manny said, putting a supportive arm around her.

Emma just closed her eyes and shook her head, willing the tears that threatened to spill to stop. She didn't want to feel helpless. She was tired of this feud between Sean and Jay. She just wanted things to go back to normal.

" He told me that I had better get used to being around him. He said that I am now his new girlfriend."

Sean just clinched his fists together upon hearing her say that.

"What about Alex? He's just going to kick her to the curb?" Manny said while leading Emma to sit in a chair.

" Apparently so. Or he might have her and me. I don't know."

Sean, who hadn't said a word, finally spoke.

" Manny, would you mind cutting your shopping trip with Emma short today? I'm really sorry, but I need to talk to Emma right now. It can't wait."

" It's ok, Sean. I know you to have alot to talk about. I'm not mad or anything. Emma?"

" Yeah". She said, sounding as if she would burst out in tears at any moment.

" Call me when you get home, ok? Just to let me know that you're alright."

" I will. Sorry Manny."

" No problem." She gave Emma a supportive hug before walking off, blending in with the crowd of people.

" Emma." Sean said as he stood from his position on a nearby chair.

Emma didn't look up at him, but he could see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

" Emma." He said her name with more force.

" What!" She snapped her head up to look him in the eye.

" Come here, please?"

" And why should I? Jay might still be here, you know? He might be watching. I wouldn't want you precious plan to fail, now would I?"

" The only thing, or person, that is precious to me is you. This other crap doesn't matter. You are the only one who matters! I am doing this because I don't want us hurt by him anymore. If this plan works, then he will be out of our lives for good. I won't have to worry about him hurting you."

" And what if this little plan of yours **doesn't** work? What if he hurts us both again, or worse?"

" It'll work. You have to believe that it will. I'll protect you from anything that he tries."

" And how will you do that, huh? We are not supposed to be seen together! You can't protect me if Jay thinks we are over, now can you! He can do whatever he wants and there's not a damn thing we can do about it!"

Sean sighed and sat down next to her.

" I have ways of protecting you. Jay and I are still semi friends. If he happens to bring you to one of his classes, like shop or something, then I will be there. I can watch you from across the room and stop him if he tries anything on you. He won't be suspicious."

" Yeah, that's great, Sean. But it doesn't stop him from doing anything to me when you aren't around."

" Em, I'm not planning on having you act like his girlfriend for a long time. After a week you can stop."

" A week!?!?"

" Yeah. During school days you can act like you hate my guts and be all over Jay when you see me." He clenched his fists and had an angry look on his face as he spoke that sentence.

" Then, during the weekend, I'll set him up at my house and you will confirm that I am telling the truth and all that junk. Then I call the police on him. Very simple."

" Fine, but if this doesn't work…"

" It will." He kissed her on the cheek to reassure her.

" Now, so far, phase one is a success. He is convinced that we want nothing more to do with each other. Phase two starts on Monday. That's when the hard part begins."

_oooooooooooooooooooooooooo_

Okay, not that much fluff, I know. But Sean-jealousy is always good. There will probably be 2-4 more chapters before this is over. Then I will start on the sequel. Please review, I love to here your opinions.


	22. Homeroom

Omg, I have missed writing so much. Sorry that it's been such a long time since I've updated. School and work have kept me so busy, but now that I'm on vacation I will be updating sooner. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

> > > > > > > > > > >

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

It was Monday morning and Emma was less than thrilled to go to school. Not only did Snake give her "the talk" about Sean last night at dinner because he supposedly got an attitude with him during class, but she couldn't even be with him at school because of the plan. Emma contemplated faking a stomachache and staying home but quickly dismissed the idea. She had to face the music sooner or later. And besides, Jay would probably be suspicious if she didn't show up.

Emma left the house and started slowly walking to school. Before she got to the end of the block someone grabbed her arm and brought her behind a tree.

" Sean?"

" Yeah. Sorry I scared you."

" We can't be seen together. What are you doing here?"

" Look behind you."

Emma turned around to see Jay and Towerz in his car driving down the street. Emma turned back around so that they couldn't see her.

" Thanks."

" No problem. This is the only time of the day that I can have a civilized conversation with you… to touch you…"

He held her hand for emphasis.

"….you know, just be with you without any of this madness."

Emma smiled as he squeezed her hand.

" Well. I need to go. We can't be seen so I'll go to school earlier than you. Remember that I'll be watching him. You don't have to worry."

He kissed her hand and walked away.

" Hey Em. How are you holding up?"

Manny asked as she ran up from behind her and walked next to her.

" I'm fine for now. Sean saved me this morning. Jay was driving down the street looking for me."

" Wow. He's stalking you now?"

" Yeah, now I have to deal with his advances all week. This plan better work out."

" It will, Em. Sean isn't stupid. He has something up his sleeve and it will all work out."

" I hope you're right."

" I hope I am too, because here he comes."

" You can go ahead Manny. I'll be alright."

" Ok Em. I'll be at my locker."

Manny walked away as Jay walked up and put his arm around Emma.

" Hey babe. You ready to go to homeroom?"

" Excuse me? You're in grade 12. We aren't in the same homeroom."

" Well today you are coming to mine."

" No. I'll get in trouble." She said as she tried to get his arm off of her. He just held her tighter.

" You'll just have to deal with that babe." He whispered forcefully in her ear.

Emma shuddered in fear. His voice held so much malice. Emma would have gone along with it if she hadn't seen Sean at Manny's locker looking out for her. He gave her the confidence to speak again.

" Jay, instead of me getting in trouble, how about I just meet you in homeroom. My step- father is the homeroom teacher. I can tell him that I'm sick and need to go to the nurse."

" That's right." He said while laughing. " Stick with me and we will run this place. I'll teach you the right way to lie."

Jay moved his hand from her shoulder and came dangerously close to her chest. He stopped when a crash came from down the hall. Emma and Jay looked over to see Sean looking directly at them while helping Manny pick up her books. Emma gave him a small smile, knowing why Manny's books "mysteriously" fell to the ground.

Sean scowled back, but his eyes told her that he would always be watching.

" I think Cameron's a little jealous. I'll see you in homeroom."

He kissed her hard on the cheek and walked over to Alex.

Sean wrote a note on a sheet of paper and slipped it into Emma's hand, knocking into her as he did so. Jay was still nearby and had a perfect view of both of them, so he had to make it look bad.

Emma opened the note:

_Keep me posted on what happens so I know where you are. Has he touched you?_

Emma put the note in her pocket and went to homeroom. Once inside she went straight to Snake's desk.

" Snake?"

" Yeah Emma?"

" Um…I'm not feeling well. I need to go to the nurse."

" Ok. Do you need to go home?"

" No. Just the nurse."

Emma walked out just as Sean and Manny walked in.

" Emma?"

" I have to go Manny. I'll see you in Media Emerson."

Manny just nodded and Sean gave her a look. She tried to reassure him with her eyes that everything would be ok. She walked out to see Jay waiting for her at her locker.

" Let's go." He grabbed her arm and roughly led her to his homeroom. Back in Simpson's homeroom Manny and Sean had confused looks on their faces.

" Where do you think she went?"

" I don't know, but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with Jay. I'm going to find out."

Sean raised his hand. He had to find some way to get out of homeroom so that he could find Emma. It wouldn't be too likely considering he had Simpson as a homeroom teacher, but he could improvise if he needed to.

" Yes Sean, what is it?"

Simpson wasn't being rude but he wasn't being nice either. He still didn't like Sean and he made it known every time he saw him.

" May I go to the bathroom?"

" Someone is already out. You'll have to wait."

" But I can't—"

" You will just have to hold it." Simpson was getting aggravated now.

" Mr. Simpson, it will only take two—"

" I said no, Sean!"

Sean's anger boiled over at his teacher's attitude towards him. He wanted to get up and give the guy a piece of his mind, but Manny was there to calm him down.

" Sean?"

" Yeah Manny?"

" I can go find Emma. I have to give something to Mr. Radditch about the Spirit Squad anyway."

" Thanks Manny."

Manny stood and walked over to Simpson's desk and whispered something in his ear. Gaining his approval, she stepped out of the room.

Emma sat next to Jay and stared into space. She was miserable and Alex was throwing her looks from across the room. Even though Emma didn't like her, the main goal was to get away from Jay.

" I'm going to talk to someone."

She moved his arm away from her shoulder and walked across the room to where Alex sat.

"Hi" Emma said while stopping in front of her.

Alex didn't speak or even look up. Emma sighed and started back to Jay. She stopped, however, when she saw Manny through the window with a shocked, confused look. Emma motioned for her to wait as she ran to a desk and grabbed a sheet of paper and pen.

Sean:

_No, he hasn't touched me. He's tried to though. I'm in his homeroom. I will probably have to come back tomorrow. His requests are more like threats. I'll talk to you soon._

_Emma_

Emma folded the note and gave it to Manny. She gave her a worried look before walking back to homeroom. Emma watched her go then turned back to Alex.

" He's using you, you know?" Alex stated, still not looking up.

" Using me?" She asked, already knowing the answer.

" Yeah. He doesn't want you. He'll do anything to get a stab at Cameron though. Are you two really over?"

" Yeah." She lied.

" Good. If Jay is going to play games then so am I. I always had a thing for Sean. Now I can see how he feels about me now that nature chick isn't breathing down my neck. Have fun here with your new project. He'll drop you as soon as he gets tired of you refusing him."

Without another word, Alex got up and walked to another seat.

> > > > > > > > >

Okay, that was definitely A LOT of talking. Lol. I hope you enjoyed it. A few more chapters to go and then a sequel. Yay. R&R please.


	23. Caught in bad positions

Let me just take a moment to apologize for my lack of updating for a year and a month. Senior year had me busy for many months, and my computer decides it wants to freeze every time I turn it on, so it hasn't worked out well. But that will change. I have a new computer and I will be going to college, where my afternoons should be free. Because I started writing this when I was younger, my skills have improved (hopefully), so I will revise this after I'm finished. Thank you for all of your support. Enjoy!

* * *

The rest of the day followed the same pattern as homeroom. Emma skipped one of her morning classes, by Jay's insistence, and was forced to spend lunch with him and his flunkies outside.

Sean was true to his vow to look after her. Manny gave him the message when she got back. The simple fact that he had not put his hands on her gave him some kind of relief. Manny was being as supportive as she possibly could given that she knew little to nothing about what was going on between them. She was just as worried about Emma's well-being and she too went out of her way to be around Jay.

The bell rang signifying the end of sixth period. Emma walked out of class to see Jay waiting at her locker.

"Hurry up. We have shop now and I don't want to be late."

"Jay, not wanting to be late? That's a first." She replied sarcastically.

"Don't test my patience."

"I've already skipped two classes today. Anymore, and I'll be in more trouble then I'm in already."

"I don't care. Now, go to daddy-kins and make up some excuse. I'm going to class now. I suggest you be there."

He walked away leaving Emma in the near empty hallway. She released a heavy sigh and walked towards Snake's classroom.

"Snake?"

"Emma? Are you feeling better?"

"No, I wanted to tell you that I'm going back to the nurse's office. I won't be in geology."

"Are you sure you don't want to go home? Because I will talk to the nurse--"

"No. There's no need to talk to the nurse. I probably just have a nervous stomach." She said, trying to laugh it off. He gave her an odd look before granting her permission. After telling the nurse she would be in the restroom, she walked upstairs to shop class. The sight that met her at the door really made her stomach turn.

"It's about time. Get in here." She was still frozen in place. Alex was straddling Sean's waist and kissing her way down his chest. She stopped in the middle to look towards the door and smirk at the death glare she was receiving from the younger girl.

Sean looked at her, willing his eyes to show her that he was doing this all for the sake of the plan, and that he hated every minute of it.

Emma was snapped out of her trance when Jay roughly grabbed her wrist and forcefully pulled her to sit down on top of the table.

"Looks like Cameron's moved on rather quickly." He said while working on his project. Emma nodded slowly and agreed in a non- interested way. This caused him to smirk.

"Looks like he's challenging us. I say we give him a show."

Emma didn't have a chance to reply as he pushed her legs apart and pulled her down to sit on his lap, exactly the same position Alex was in. The only disadvantage was that Emma was wearing a very short skirt.

Jay started kissing her neck and moved his hands up and down her bare thighs before moving them up her stomach to rest of her chest. Emma was more disgusted by the gesture than aroused. Jay noticed that and squeezed her stomach tightly, letting her know there would be consequences if she didn't make it look good.

She began moaning softly before another agonizing squeeze made the volume of her voice significantly increase. Sean and Alex looked over at their position, along with the rest of the class and scowled. Sean couldn't help himself as he jumped to his feet and prepared to walk over. The look on her face told him that she felt like she was being violated, and he would have damned the plan to hell at that very moment if another person hadn't beaten him to it.

With a swift movement, Ellie Nash slapped Emma hard in the face, leaving Emma stunned and relieved that Jay's hands were off of her body.

"You really are a tramp, aren't you?"

* * *

Oh, that's a lovely plot twist, if I do say so myself. Please review. I will end up revising this story after I finish it. 


	24. Ellie's breakdown

I'm very sorry for the 7 month delay. I had no inspiration and a lot of research papers. I appreciate all of the reviews I have received from everyone and I also love all of you who give this fic the time of day. I hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Emma held her face as she watched Ellie's expression turn from disgust to complete rage. Ellie couldn't believe what she was seeing. She was on her way to the bathroom when she witnessed the little contest taking place in the shop room. It was enough to turn her stomach. She wasn't as disgusted with Alex as she was with Emma. Even though it hurt her to see Alex all over the man of her dreams, Emma made her blood boil because of the hypocrisy she just showed.

'That little skank! How dare she flaunt herself around like a little whore like 4 days after she and Sean broke up.' She fumed silently to herself as she saw Emma's shocked expression and a look of extreme satisfaction on Jay's face.

Even though getting involved would just put Jay on her again, she wasn't about to sit and watch Emma break Sean's heart anymore than she had already. So, there she was, standing over the still shock-ridden Emma and the very amused Jay. She and Jay shared eye contact briefly before she ignored his presence and turned straight to Emma. Aside form shock, she saw an unreadable emotion that was once mirrored on her own face when she used to cut; it was the look of fear and emotional agony. That confused Ellie greatly, but her anger was the dominant emotion at the time.

"You really are a tramp, aren't you?" She repeated as she all but shook with fury. "You had Sean; you have to have Jay, too? You are unbelievable! That rumor probably was true! Now I don't feel so bad about spreading it." She laughed before she paused and looked over to Sean. He looked just as angry as she was, but she couldn't tell who his anger was directed to.

"You should drop her." She said to him. "She never cared about you. You deserve better, not this trash!" She pointed to Alex and Emma who were now standing near a table in the middle of the room.

Sean could just stare at Ellie as she trash-talked his girlfriend—sorry _ex_-girlfriend—and Alex. He didn't know whether to be pissed that she barged in when he was about to beat the crap out of Jay, or be somewhat relieved or flattered that she stopped him from making a mistake because she cared about his feelings. After deliberating, he chose the former because, even though he was flattered, she caused enough trouble for him and he did not want her fighting his battles.

Besides, he didn't like her that way; letting her stick up for him gave off the message that he may have felt something, which he didn't. He took a deep breath before speaking. He knew that he might hurt her again, but this needed to be done.

"When I need your help, I'll ask for it alright?" He said in a tone that came out somewhat strained. He was never good at masking anger, and this situation was one where his anger would stand out the most.

Ellie looked horrified at those words. "Sean, I just—" He cut her off.

"I don't care. Stop getting into this. It's none of your business. This is between me, Jay and Emma." Tears were beginning to form in Ellie's eyes at his words.

"Just leave and go back to class." He finished and was about to turn his back on her when she spoke again.

"Why do you keep letting her do this to you? You need to let her go!"

This was the most emotional conversation she had ever had with anyone outside her family. The other students in the shop class looked on at the unfolding drama and even people in the halls looked in through the window to see what was going on. Manny, who was walking back from her locker, also witnessed the conversation.

Ellie noticed the small crown forming and felt her walls crumble even more. She truly felt like she needed to get Sean away from Emma's evil clutches. She had been watching the interactions between them all week and she saw how she and Jay flaunted their new relationship in front of Sean's face.

She glanced at Emma and saw that she looked just as angry as Sean did. It was no secret that jealousy emanated from her.

"Answer this," Sean directed at Ellie. "Why do you keep letting Jay control you? Just stay out of this and mind your own business. Even if what you want happens, I will still never like you that way. How can I after all you've done?"

There was a long pause as tears began leaking from Ellie's eyes and her defenses broke down completely. What she said next surprised everyone because of the strong emotions coming from her.

"I was desperate! I didn't know what else to do! You would never break up with her unless she did something wrong. You make her into little- miss- perfect all the time! When Jay said she was cheating, I forced myself to believe it because it gave me hope that maybe you would see how not right she was for you and turn to me!"

"But you knew it wasn't true." Jay commented, having grown tired of listening to the bickering. "I all but told you I made up the whole lie. It took no genius to figure out you'd believe anything I told you because of how pathetic you are. So now that it worked, stop getting involved. I don't need you anymore; I have what I want."

His last sentence caused her to shield her face with her hands and sob harder.

Emma stole a glance at Sean and nodded apologetically before walking over to sit on Jay's lap on the table.

Sean shrugged, looking "angry", when in reality he was seething inside because of where Jay's hand was leading.

Ellie couldn't take anymore of it. Without a second glance she walked out of the room in the direction of the counselor. She didn't want to, but if she didn't talk to Ms. Sovay she feared she would cut herself to the point of death.

Jay laughed at her retreating back and his hand began moving up Emma's thigh.

"Now, where did we leave off before that nosy tramp interrupted?" He whispered huskily in her ear. Emma was beyond uncomfortable. It wasn't just because of Jay's comment; the audience from earlier had not completely cleared out, and she was sure that the news of her promiscuous actions would soon reach the ears of her step- father before the end of the day. That was the last thing she needed.

Manny walked in after trying to get the prying eyes to go back to class. She gave Sean a look of pity that she wasn't sure was real or not and walked over to Emma.

"Hey, you left your cell in my purse and you mom called. She needs you home to baby- sit Jack right after school."

Emma tried her hardest to keep a straight face at the blatant lie Manny was telling. Caitlin was in town and wanted nothing more than to spend as much time with baby Jack as possible. In fact, Jack was with her at that moment.

Emma turned to face Jay and gave her most disappointed look before lightly kissing him on the cheek. It was Manny's turn to keep from laughing at the dismayed look on Emma's face.

Jay gave a triumphant look to Sean before telling Emma that he would pick her up the next morning for school.

"You'd better be out there, too. I'm not in the mood for bullshit from you."

He gave her one more forceful kiss on the lips before he and his lackeys left the room after the bell. It took all of Sean's self control not to hit him in the head with the metal carburetor he held in his hand. He was tired of this. This was going to end soon. He got up and walked over to Manny and Emma. Keeping up the façade, he pushed against her roughly and whispered something to Manny before quickly leaving the room. Manny only said one sentence before walking out of the room after him.

"He's going to talk to him tonight."


	25. Plan in motion

One or two more chapters to go! Then I will revise it so that it reflects my age. I started this when I was fourteen and now five years later and it's not even finished. The revisions will happen a lot sooner because I can't stand the way this is written right now. Thanks to all my fans who have kept reading this long. Half of chapter 26 is already written and chapter two's revision is finished and will be posted eventually. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Degrassi

* * *

Emma's walk home, despite the hectic day, was somewhat peaceful. She'd sneaked past Jay and Snake after school, not wanting to deal with either one of them. The only person she wanted to deal with was Sean, and he was nowhere to be found. Not that she could be seen with him anyway...

She wiped away a stray tear as she walked down the street. She passed by the park she and Sean took Jack to a few weeks ago. There were so many memories of Sean around her that her head was swimming.

She reflected on her life again for what must have been the hundredth time that day, wondering—no, demanding—to know why she had to go through these extremes just so she and her boyfriend could be happy.

Degrassi just seemed to breed drama, and she was sick of it. It also didn't help that a large part of her drama also happened to live with her and would most likely have heard the numerous rumors that circulated about her in shop class.

She let out a heavy sigh as she climbed her porch steps and entered through the front door.

"Good, no one's home." She breathed in relief.

Though she would have liked to have her mother there so she could explain her day before Snake gave the "colorful" version, she was happy that she could have some time to herself without any responsibilities or interruptions.

She walked into the kitchen for a glass of water before making her way downstairs to her room. The sight that met her was enough for her tears from earlier to return.

There, on her bed, sat Sean Cameron.

It took all of Emma's self control not to run and fling herself into his arms. Luckily for her, Sean had no self control.

He stood from the bed and, in a few strides stood right in front of her. After taking the glass away and putting it on a nearby table, he kissed her passionately. His tongue brushed against her lower lip, begging for entrance.

She obliged willingly. She needed to be near him.

The events of the last few weeks were still on her mind, making her realize more and more how ridiculous everything was; the plan, Jay, Ellie...all of this made her realize just how young they really were.

Sean deepened the kiss more, running his hands up and down her back. He had a steady firm hold on her. Everything—his anger, passion, possessiveness, love—was reflected in his kiss. Emma felt it all, which caused more tears to spill.

Sean wiped them away before breaking from her lips to kiss away all remnants of sorrow from her eyes.

The thoughts running through his mind were similar to hers, the only exception being that he blamed himself above everyone else. If he hadn't come up with such a stupid plan, then Emma wouldn't have to go through everything she was. She wouldn't have to put her morals in jeopardy and break rules. Most of all, she wouldn't be there crying in his arms because of something that was his idea to begin with.

"I'm so sorry, Emma." He breathed into her hair after breaking the kiss.

She shook her head, silently begging him not to blame himself.

He kissed the top of her head before taking in a deep breath. She was right, as usual. He wasn't the only one at fault. There were a lot of factors that contributed to the stupid events that took place. The one thing that even she could not convince him of was that it was not his fault that he could not protect her from Jay. That was what hurt him the most.

Emma tilted her head and kissed his neck before backing away from the embrace. She looked into his eyes and saw everything he was thinking...everything he was feeling...

Emma took his hand and led him over to the bed. She laid down, coaxing him to do the same and positioned him in her arms before pulling a pink fleece blanket over them both.

"Well, I suppose I've lost a few masculinity points." He commented as he held some of the pink material between his fingers.

She laughed and tightened her grip on his upper arm.

"Just relax and go to sleep. I promise that your secret pink fetish will be safe with me."

"Funny." He replied dryly, but nonetheless he did what she asked. He didn't think he could keep his lack of sleep a secret from her.

"When will your parents get home?"

"I don't know." She replied truthfully. "Caitlin is in town, so I'm not sure if she and my mom are going out or if they will hang out here. As for Snake, I don't even want to know."

He nodded in understanding and maneuvered himself deeper into her embrace. The few times he'd had the pleasure of sleeping next to her had been the most restful sleep he could ever hope for. She just had this way of making him feel like everything would be alright.

* * *

"Ellie!"

Ellie quickened her pace down the stairs of Degrassi. Ms. Sovay, after listening to the situation only succeeded in making her feel worse. So, now all she wanted to do was go home and drown her sorrows in dark poetry. She hoped her mother wasn't home.

"Ellie! Stop!"

Her arm was grabbed from behind and she swerved around to come face to face with Marco.

"We need to talk." He said sternly, his grip never loosening.

Ellie just nodded her head angrily and let him lead her to Dylan's car, which was parked in front of the entrance. Dylan, who witnessed the exchange from the safety of his vehicle, started the car when they approached.

"Can you take us to Ellie's?" Marco asked as both teens got into the back seat. Dylan just nodded. Marco was pissed, and he knew from experience that staying on the boy's good side was the best thing he could do for himself.

As Dylan began driving off, Marco turned to Ellie. She had her head down and was slightly hunched over. What caused his anger to dissipate slightly was the fact that she was fingering her lower arm through the sleeve of her shirt. That was another issue they needed to discuss.

He too had heard some rumors from girls circulating around Ellie Nash and what they had witnessed in the girl's bathroom. Knowing his best friend, she would be evasive. But the more they got things out in the open, the more he could help her.

They arrived at Ellie's five minutes later and, after kissing Dylan and promising to call later, Marco led Ellie up the porch of her house.

When she opened the door, she let out a breath of relief; her mother was nowhere to be found. That was both a good and bad thing. It was good because she didn't have to deal with her mother's problem, but it was bad because now she was forced to talk to Marco without any distractions.

Ellie looked on the living room coffee table to see a few handles of vodka strewn around. She mentally winced and hoped Marco didn't see. By looking at his face, she had the feeling that if he saw, he most likely wouldn't care.

Walking into her room, she threw her backpack on her desk chair as Marco discarded his own on the floor at the foot of her bed. He waited for her to sit on the edge of her bed before going off.

"Ellie, what the hell is going on here?!" He started. "First, you get into a fight—with Emma Nelson!—then you go and make another huge scene with her again!?"

Ellie looked down.

"And what the hell does Jay have to do with all of this? Is he threatening you!?"

He paused to take a breath and look at her.

"Ellie." He said. She didn't acknowledge him. He then knelt to the floor in front of her.

"Ellie, tell me what's up. This isn't like you. What's going on?"

Maybe it was his concern, or maybe it was her exhaustion; whatever it was caused her emotional flood gate to open, allowing the tears to stream freely from their former prison. Marco stood and hugged her. He still didn't know what was going on, but this was a start.

It only took her a few minutes to dry her eyes before he let go and assumed his former position.

"Ellie, what's wrong? What's going on?" He repeated, exasperated this time. All this secrecy was getting on his nerves.

"Look, I screwed up, okay?" She confessed, voice a bit strained from her earlier crying fit.

"Okay." He said slowly. "How did you screw up?"

"I'm a horrible person. I let Jay talk me into doing something I knew was wrong just so I could get something I've wanted for a while. Because of my stupidity and selfishness, Emma and Sean are suffering.

"I regret what I did, but at the same time...I want to keep doing it because a part of me thinks Jay's logic isn't that far off."

"So, wait." Marco began, trying to sort out the vague information. "Let me get this straight. Were you the reason Emma and Sean broke up?"

Marco held his breath. When he'd heard about the "golden" couple's breakup, he automatically thought it was a practical joke and that Emma and Sean would walk in, hand in hand.

But when he saw Emma all against Jay before homeroom, he knew that his theory was false. Needless to say, this information shocked the entire school.

"No." She replied. Marco sighed in relief. Then another thought came to him.

"But, you were the one willing to help make it happen?"

"...Yes." He sighed.

"How...no, _why_ would you do that?"

"Because I want to be close to Sean." She whimpered.

He took one of her hands in his and gave it a squeeze. He was trying to be sympathetic here, but it was really hard considering all she'd done. Emma and Sean were the "it" couple at Degrassi. They were the ones you envied; they were the ones you knew would be together forever.

And now they weren't anymore...and his best friend had a hand in that. How could he possibly be sympathetic? He didn't know how, but he knew he had to.

"Ellie..." He tried to think of the right words. "Just because someone breaks up doesn't mean they automatically move to the first person they see."

"You think I don't know that!? I do know, but that doesn't stop me from still wanting it. I know that everything I did was wrong. I would do anything to make it better. I would rather have Sean's friendship than his hatred."

Marco listened to her words. Unrequited love was tough. He was proud that she was willing to help bring Sean and Emma back together, her personal motives aside.

He smiled at her and kissed the back of her hand. He would talk to Sean at school the next morning. Until then, he would stay with her until she figured her feelings out.

* * *

It was five in the afternoon by the time Sean and Emma woke up from their naps. As they stretched and yawned, a thought came to Emma's mind that made her gasp in mid-yawn. Sean was about to ask what was wrong, but she looked back at him in relief.

"Good; they aren't back yet." She breathed.

She looked back at him and smiled. It just occurred to her that that was the most time they'd spent together in over a week.

He smiled back and took her hand in his, rubbing the back of it with his thumb.

"Maybe I should go upstairs and make sure the coast is clear."

Just as Sean was about to agree, they both heard the front door open and the voices of her mother, stepfather, and Caitlin ring through the living room. From what she heard, Snake and Caitlin were conversing and Spike was making a comment about Jack.

"Well, so much for going upstairs." Sean commented and lay back down. Maybe this was a sign he should stay; or, at least that's what he told himself. He'd give anything for her to just lay back down with him. Hell, he'd give anything to just be able to be seen with her in public without Snake calling the cops.

Speaking of cops...

Emma was confused when Sean abruptly sat up and got out of bed. He was so comfortable that he almost completely forgot what he had to do.

"Sean?" She raised an eyebrow in question.

He leaned down and gave her a long kiss before walking over to the window.

"Remember?" He mentioned. "I'm going to talk to Jay tonight."

She nodded in acknowledgment, trying to mask her disappointment.

"I'll be back as soon as I finish; I promise, alright?"

She simply nodded again, her face set.

"I love you, Emma. You know why I have to do this. We've come too far to stop now."

"I love you too Sean." Her voice was cold. He knew why. Her patience was wearing thinner and thinner. They were both sick of sacrificing their happiness just to get people to see how broken they were without it.

There was no use arguing about it. The sooner he got this done, the sooner the stupid plan would be done with and he could get back to living a stress free life...well, a stress free relationship.

He gave her one last look before exiting through her basement window. Emma didn't look back. She was mentally exhausted and totally pissed with all the men in her life, save for Jack.

She lifted herself from the bed and began walking upstairs. If she was, once again going to be yelled at, she at least wanted to get it over with so she could try to enjoy the rest of her night.

* * *

Sean found Jay exactly where he thought; at the broken down basketball court in the park. This was where all the delinquents hung out. That was one reason why no one was usually near that side at this time of afternoon. People weren't stupid. They knew some kind of illegal activity was going on, but what could they do? They had no proof.

As he entered the general vicinity, he saw lawn chairs sitting around a fire in the middle of the court. All of the cars were a few feet away, haphazardly parked on the edge of the grass.

Sean could practically taste the weed and tobacco as he walked toward a group of people standing next to a blue Dodge. Surprisingly, no one seemed to notice he was there. Then again, his baggy jeans and black hoodie didn't necessarily tell them he didn't belong.

The closer he got to the group, the more people he recognized. Jay and Z were next to the passenger's side talking to Towerz and another guy he recognized from shop class. Alex was in the passenger's seat, and the driver's side was empty. The remaining four people he did not know at all.

Jay spotted him a few feet away and made his way over. He had a drink in his hand, looking to Sean like he'd had a few too many already.

"Cameron. I told you you'd crack. Welcome." He put his hands out and presented the park to Sean as if he'd just presented him with the greatest gift ever given.

"I don't want your welcome. We need to talk."

"Oh." Jay laughed before downing the rest of his beer and throwing the plastic cup down to the ground. His whole demeanor seemed to sober up when the cup left his hand.

"You're here about Emma, aren't you?" He asked in amusement. "You can't have her back, if that's what you want. I plan on using her to my full advantage, if you know what I mean."

Sean clinched his fists and bit his lip to keep him from speaking out of line. He just had to stay calm enough to get a few more sentences out before he could go home and blow off some steam.

"I'm not here about her. If you want her, she's yours."

It hurt him to talk about her like a random object, but he had to finish what he came to do.

"I'm actually glad you mentioned her. See, I'm here to give you some information. This is also why we broke up. She can't take the heat."

Jay looked very intrigued and urged him to continue.

"See, I actually thought about what you said about stealing car parts. I know this really old dealer near my brother's job, and he had exactly what you were looking for. When Emma found out, she flipped; that's when she decided it would be smart to break up in a crowded mall."

"Yeah, so I saw." Jay commented with a laugh.

"It's cool though." Sean continued. "She was holding me back anyway. So, me and a friend went online to see if there were any potential buyers for the goods the old man has. I'll tell ya, man, people are willing to spend some big money on the stuff I took."

"I told you it was a sweet investment. How much money we talking?" Jay was now very much interested.

"A good five grand."

Jay whistled and slapped his hands together.

"Imagine what we could do if we sold both our stashes to the same buyer. We'd have more money than we knew what to do with." Sean pushed. He was pulling this out of thin air. He only hoped his story was believable. By the look of pure excitement on Jay's face, he knew he had succeeded.


	26. Trust me

Sean called Emma as soon as he got back to give her the details

One more chapter and this will be done!! I know we are all anticipating this! I have half of the last chapter written and I am so happy. This story has been going on for way too looonnnnggg. Lol. Hope you like! R&R.

--

--

Sean called Emma as soon as he got back to give her the details. After Jay conversed with his friends, he and Sean came up with a good time to meet with the parts.

"So, he decided we should meet at the back of the school."

"Do you think that's a good idea?" She asked.

"It's the only place I've got. We can't do it at any of our houses because the cops will ask too many questions. I don't want my brother involved. Jay doesn't want any trouble either. The park is too open; we would see them coming from a mile away, and by the time they got there, Jay and all his stolen parts will be gone.

"The school is the only place where the cops could come without it involving anyone's house, or a place to run. We'd all be trapped."

"So, who's going to call the cops?"

"I am. That way I can talk to them after."

"Do you just want me to call instead?"

She was really uneasy about police finding him with illegal car parts in the middle of the night on school property.

"No. I don't want you involved anymore than you have to be. All you have to do is confirm my story if Jay asks tomorrow. We're gonna do this on Friday night. If this works, by Monday, everything will be alright."

"Alright." She consented. "I trust you, Sean."

"Thank you." He told her sincerely. She was the only thing keeping him going.

"So, what did your mom say to you? I'm sure Simpson heard what happened."

He was almost afraid to hear it. For once, he would not be in the rumors circulating about Emma. The only time his name would be mentioned would be just to reiterate how _out_ of the picture he was.

No, it was about Emma and Jay, the scandalous new couple. Part of him was upset; he didn't want Emma's name being associated with anyone else's but his. But, on the other hand, he wanted to know what Mr. Simpson would think about his step-daughter with someone who he hated more than Sean.

"It's weird. He didn't say anything to mom."

Sean was confused.

"Do you think he knows?" How could he not?

"Oh, I _know_ he knows." She replied. "He gave me this strange look when I came upstairs. After dinner he said he wanted us to 'go for a walk' because we don't spend enough time together.

"Wow."

"I'm scared, Sean." She said both playfully and seriously.

This did not sound good to her. As soon as both set foot out of that house, he was going to tear her apart.

"Well, I'm not going to tell you not to worry, because I think you should. If he heard what everyone was saying, then he knows every thing that happened today, and worst of all, everything that didn't."

Emma hadn't thought of it that way. Now she felt even worse. She knew she did an awful lot of lying to her family the past few weeks, and she was truly sorry for it. No matter how angry she was at Snake for not liking Sean or trusting her decisions, she knew he didn't deserve half the stress she out him through.

"Maybe I deserve whatever he does to me. I'm not innocent, Sean." She said. "I deserve whatever punishment he gives me, because I am actually doing something wrong."

"Because of me." He reminded her sternly.

"No, because of Jay. And because I love you and I just want to be with you."

Sean sighed on the other line, knowing she would not let him take all the blame, no matter how much he deserved it.

"Okay, look. I'm going to let you go before you get into anymore trouble. I'll call tomorrow to check on you."

"Alright."

"And remember to confirm anything I've told you to Jay."

"I've got it. I'll talk to you later."

"I love you." He said with more emotion that normal. This was difficult for him, and he hated putting pressure on her.

"I love you too. Bye." She said before ending their connection. She knew how much trouble this was causing, but she vowed she would stick with him.

After she hung up, she laid on her bed and put her hand over her eyes, blocking out the light from her lamp.

Snake would most likely call her anytime to go for that walk. She was still scared, but she was also somewhat comforted. She had no idea what to expect from her step-father. So, she could either hide in her room and think of worse case scenarios, or she could face what she'd done and meet Snake halfway.

--

--

Snake looked up from grading papers to see Emma at his door. He couldn't tell if he was happy or disappointed by her presence, but considering what he had to work with, he opted for the latter.

"Emma." His voice conveyed his disappointment. "Can I help you with anything?"

"I just wanted to know if you still wanted to go on that walk?"

He looked up and studied her face. He didn't know why, but he felt like he was living with another person. The girl standing in front of him right now looked like his Emma, but with the way she'd been acting lately, he just couldn't tell anymore.

What he did know though, was that he wanted her back. He wanted the sweet, caring, studious Emma Nelson that he'd helped raise. And he was going to do everything in his power to get her out of her downward spiral.

"Actually, yes I'm ready." He saw her smile and felt himself return it.

"You just wait downstairs while I get my coat, alright?" He stood and put the tests back into a folder as he spoke. She nodded and left him to complete his task.

He met her downstairs and, after kissing Spike, both left the house.

The night air was cool against their skin, causing Emma to hold her light jacket tighter against her body.

As they neared the park, Snake decided to broach the topic he'd been avoiding for the past few weeks.

"Emma." He paused. He knew he had her undivided attention, but he needed to keep his anger and frustration in check. She glanced at him. She saw his internal struggle and decided to save both of them some time.

"Snake, I know I've been weird lately."

Snake let out a small sigh of relief. He was so worried about offending her with his words that he was thankful to hear her make the first move.

"Yeah. Weird is one way of putting it." He said awkwardly. She let out an equally awkward giggle and looked down.

Snake was tired of this. He used to be able to get so much out of her, but lately all she did was clam up every time he stepped foot in the same room as her. He knew he was to blame for that. When he started the chemo, there were times where he knew he had been unreasonable. He let his dislike for Sean affect the way he treated his daughter. He felt he needed to right that wrong before they said anything else.

"Look Emma," He stopped walking, causing her to mirror him, and put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm so sorry for the way I've been since the chemo started. I've taken a lot of things out on you and Sean, and that is completely inexcusable."

"I know you've been under a lot of pressure. I just didn't know what I had done. And even though you were never angry at me, it still affected me because of what it was doing to Sean."

A few tears escaped as she let out all of the emotions she'd felt. Snake wiped them away with his thumb.

"I understand. I have my reasons for disliking Sean. I've watched him just as long as you have known him. He's reckless, possessive, and easily manipulated from what I've seen. He's fine when he's with you and Manny, but put him in the same room with thugs like Jay, and you see his reputation suffer.

"I didn't want you to go through that pain. I still don't. So, by limiting your time together and letting you see what he's really like without you, I thought you would see how not right for you he is."

Emma listened to his speech with rapt attention, taking in all of his good intentions and bad judgments. After Snake had finished, he removed his hands from her shoulders and stuffed them in his jacket pocket.

"I know you were only looking out for me Snake, She started, but he cut her off.

"Whether it worked or not, I'm not so sure. You just went from one bad influence to another."

"Snake." She walked over to the bus stop bench a few feet away and sat down. "There's a lot about this you don't know."

He moved to sit next to her. "Then make me understand. What is going on with you, Emma?"

She gave a heavy sigh and contemplated her options. She desperately wanted to stop lying to her parents and tell them anything, but telling them could jeopardize the plan she and Sean worked so hard to initiate.

"I can't tell you everything. But what I can tell you is that, if things work out, everything will be back to normal by Monday."

Snake nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"Then, is there anything you can tell me? Anything you want me to know?"

"I really want to let you know that Sean and I aren't broken up. We're still together."

She saw his confusion and continued.

"But you can't tell anyone. Not even the teachers. Everyone at Degrassi has to believe what me and Sean want them to believe."

"So, you want the school to keep believing that you are dating Jason Hogart? And you want to keep making people believe that you are not the good girl I know you are by skipping classes?"

His voice was elevating and Emma immediately got on the defense. She knew he would react like this; what normal parent/ school authority wouldn't? But what could she say to ease his mind without giving anything away?

"Snake, I'm asking you to trust me." She looked him dead in the eyes. "I _need_ you to trust me."

He saw the seriousness on her face and mirrored it with his own. He needed more than she was giving him and he was determined to get his answers.

"You need to tell me more. The nurse is getting wind of your skipping, and so are your other teachers. And with the things people are saying, it is really difficult for me to trust you completely right now. You've done nothing but lie to me for weeks now, Emma!"

The pent up anger he'd kept inside for so long was finally being released.

"I know! I understand. It won't happen for much longer. And I promise I will explain what's happened to everyone—you, mom, and the entire school—if you just trust me and keep this secret."

He looked at her for a long time, thinking of everything she'd told him before nodding his head. That wasn't the response he wanted, but the look in her eyes told him that what she was dealing with was serious, and if she didn't even tell Spike about any of it, it must have been something big.

He would trust her for now. But by Monday, he was going to make her sit with him, Spike, and Sean and make them tell everything that had been happening. That was a guarantee.

"I'm going to trust you. Don't let me down." He said after a brief pause.

"I promise not to." She replied with a lighter heart.

* * *


End file.
